Today is the second anniversary of the Bahrain uprising which shows no signs of flagging. As the anniversary approached & protests crescendoed in towns throughout the country, the regime called for a political dialogue with opposition leaders. Some opposition groups sat down with representatives of the monarchy to dialogue (last Sunday). Serious political people have to ask, “dialogue about what”!? You’d have to be in LaLa Land to think you can or should negotiate with a regime that has hundreds of political prisoners, employs torture, summary executions, excessive use of tear gas, & buckshot against unarmed protestors.
Those who think chatting with the murderous regime will get somewhere want pitiful modifications in tyranny-- penny-ante reforms like a constitutional monarchy rather than the end of monarchy. Other forces in Bahrain--referred to as “a shadowy network of youth groups & hard-line Shiites” & “the confrontational elements in Bahrain”-- reject the pointless dialogue & demand "No dialogue with killers! No to surrender! Down with the regime!”
These intransigent forces led by the Feb. 14 Youth Coalition, called a general strike for today, held protests throughout Bahrain, organized a massive sit-down strike in Manama demanding the overthrow of the medieval monarchy. Media attempts to portray these political forces as mainly disaffected youth provoking violence with Molotov cocktails & attacks on riot cops. Self-defense against excessive regime violence is not provocation. It's a revolution. Media analysts also depict the US & UK as deploring regime violence with hand-wringing angst whilst continuing to provide the military arsenal & equipment necessary to destroy the revolution.
The “shadowy network” of Bahrain can’t afford the compromise & idiotic credulity of the dialoguers & judging from the size of protests today the “confrontational elements” speak for the majority of working people. Here a young boy walks past signs protesting the phony dialogue & condemning Obama & Cameron for bankrolling & arming the murderous Bahraini regime.
No US aid to Bahrain! Bring the Fifth Fleet home!
(Photo by Hasan Jamali/AP)
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