Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
attempted to crash into security checkpoints and roadblocks. In a number of
other incidents, individual officers were attacked in acts of retribution for the
measures taken by the GoB to end protests on previous days.
615. There were also some reports of attacks against foreign workers in
Bahrain.
616. The Ministry of Education announced the suspension of the
government-funded scholarships of 40 students. The number of revoked
scholarships later increased to 97 students.
Saturday, 26 March 2011
617. There were fewer protests recorded on 26 March than on the previous
day. Demonstrations were recorded in A’Ali, Al Deraz, Al-Mekasha’,
Karzakan, Bani Jamra and Sitra. The sizes of these protests, most of which
did not exceed 200 individuals, were also considerably smaller than those of
the previous day. Again, riot police confronted these protests, blocked exit
routes from these neighbourhoods and used tear gas, sound bombs, rubber
bullets and shotgun rounds to disperse the crowds.
618. In many cases, demonstrators set up roadblocks and barricades behind
which they hid and threw stones, rocks and other objects at the police patrols
and riot police units deployed in the area. Protesters also overturned garbage
dumpsters and burned rubber tyres to deny police patrols entry into these
neighbourhoods.
619. Earlier in the day, reports indicated that the Al-Sagha Mosque in Al-
Muharraq was attacked with Molotov cocktails, which caused slight damage.
A number of acts of vandalism were also recorded, including in Souk Al-
Thahab.
620. A complaint was filed that the names and addresses of temporary and
volunteer teachers who had been employed by the Ministry of Education
during the previous weeks had been posted on the internet. It was feared that
this would lead to retribution against those individuals by teachers who had
been replaced.
621. As in previous days, individuals and vehicles were stopped and
searched at police checkpoints. Persons continued to be detained if they were
found to possess anti-government posters, leaflets, flags or any similar
material. Police personnel also seized and examined personal electronic
devices, and arrested persons who were found to have anti-government
messages or images on those devices. Police patrols continued to arrest
individuals who honked their car horns in a way that mimicked the chant,
“Down … down Hamad.”
622. Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa met
with Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi diplomats and members of those
communities in Bahrain. During the meeting it was announced that a plan had
been prepared to provide shelter and protection for those expatriates that had
been forced to leave their homes, many of whom had sought refuge in the
Pakistani School in Issa Town and the Pakistani Club in Manama. The
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