Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
condemned the operation to clear the GCC Roundabout and described it as a
“premeditated massacre” against “peaceful” demonstrators demanding
political reform. Sheikh Issa Qassim declared that the purpose of the
operation had been to teach those who were demonstrating a “harsh lesson”
and to ensure that the existing political order would not be challenged nor
would the Constitution, which had been “forced” upon the people, be
revisited. He also rejected the calls of those he described as “loyalist”, who
had been encouraging the people to wait for gradual change and reform, and
asserted that the state of freedom of expression, social justice and popular
participation in government was worsening. He added that the GoB continued
to ignore calls for dialogue and he condemned what he considered to be
governmental media incitement of sectarian hatred, which he called on the
people not to accept.
248. At 11:30, the Crown Prince was briefed about the meeting that had
taken place that morning between Mr Al-Zayani and Sheikh Ali Salman. Mr
Al-Zayani subsequently contacted Al Wefaq, upon the request of the Crown
Prince, to arrange a meeting between the Crown Prince and Sheikh Ali
Salman. At 14:30, Mr Al-Zayani received a call from an Al Wefaq
representative informing him that they had decided to call off the
demonstration that was planned for the next day.
249. That afternoon, protesters marched towards the GCC Roundabout and
approached a police barricade that was blocking the King Faisal Highway. A
BDF armoured unit was deployed behind the police units to block the entry to
the roundabout. Many of those participating in the march had been among the
mourners in the funeral processions held earlier that morning. Estimates of
the number of people at the march varied between 600 and 1,600. Reports
also indicated that around seven ambulances accompanied the demonstrators
and were driving behind them as they proceeded down the King Faisal
Highway towards the GCC Roundabout.
250. By 16:30, a large number of demonstrators began confronting the
police units blocking the King Faisal Highway, and this forced the police to
withdraw and surrender the location. The demonstrators then removed the
police barricades and proceeded towards the BDF units deployed at the entry
of the GCC Roundabout. According to government reports, the military
personnel deployed in the area were armed with M16 assault rifles, Dilmun
rifles and Browning .50 calibre machine guns mounted on top of armoured
vehicles.
251. The protesters approached the BDF barricade at approximately 17:00
and demanded access to the roundabout. According to subsequent BDF
investigations, the protesters began to verbally abuse the military personnel
deployed in the area and to shout anti-government slogans. Reports also
indicated that certain individuals among the demonstrators smeared their
bodies with red liquid to feign injuries that could be recorded and
subsequently aired on the internet and on satellite news channels. Some
government reports claimed that this liquid was blood acquired by
demonstrators from the SMC blood bank.
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