Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
215. This second death further increased public anger. Demonstrators
began to gather at the SMC morgue and at various locations in Manama and
neighbouring villages, including Shahrakkan, Bani Hamza and Sitra.
Meanwhile, after the funeral procession of Mr Ali Almeshaima, more people
joined the demonstrators and moved towards the GCC Roundabout, where
they arrived at around 15:00. By 15:15, demonstrators began to set up tents at
the roundabout, and later in the day a projector screen was installed. Among
these was a tent erected by members of the SMC medical staff. There were
also a number of demonstrators obstructing traffic in the roundabout overpass.
By nightfall, the number of demonstrators had reached several thousand. The
roundabout and its immediate vicinity were congested with protesters and
private vehicles. Police in the area neither engaged the demonstrators nor did
they attempt to disperse them. King Hamad had ordered that members of the
procession be allowed to occupy the GCC Roundabout to express their
sadness.
216. As the day proceeded, more protests and limited incidents of violence
were reported in various places, including A’Ali and Sahla Al-Janubiyah,
where some tyres were burned to obstruct traffic. Meanwhile, shop owners in
the Sheikh Abdulla Street in the Manama market stated that unidentified
masked individuals entered their property and demanded that they close their
shops.
217. That night, King Hamad gave a televised address to the nation on the
occasion of Al-Mawled Al-Nabawy (the Islamic celebration of Prophet
Mohamed’s – PBUH – birth). The King expressed his condolences for the
two deaths and announced the establishment of a committee headed by
Deputy Prime Minister Jawad Salem Al Orrayed to identify the reasons for the
events of the previous two days. The King also reaffirmed the right of
Bahrainis to exercise their freedom of expression and assembly in accordance
with the law.
218. Meanwhile, the Al Wefaq members of the Council of Representatives
(Majlis al-Nawab) announced that they would suspend their participation in
the Council’s sessions, and the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions
(GFBTU) announced calls for a general strike on 17 February. Later, SMS
messages from unidentified senders were circulated to encourage people to
join the strike.
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
219. The death of Mr Matrouk the previous day and the numerous clashes
that had occurred between demonstrators and police in various parts of
Bahrain heightened public discontent and triggered the organisation of further
demonstrations. The GCC Roundabout remained under the control of
demonstrators, whose numbers fluctuated throughout the early hours of the
day.
220. At 07:40, the first major gathering of the day was recorded at the
SMC morgue, where protesters were preparing for the funeral procession of
Mr Matrouk. The number of mourners continued to increase until it reached
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