Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
Numerous other political figures and community leaders were also present at
the roundabout and gave speeches outlining their views about the situation in
Bahrain.
275. The GFBTU issued a statement calling for a general strike in Bahrain
unless the military was withdrawn and people were allowed to exercise their
right to freedom of expression. Later, the GFBTU Assistant Secretary
announced that despite the withdrawal of BDF forces from the GCC
Roundabout, the union was still proceeding with the planned strike to pressure
the GoB into ensuring that demonstrators at the roundabout would not be
attacked.
276. Later in the night, HRH the Crown Prince gave an interview on CNN
in which he expressed his condolences to the families of those who had lost
loved ones. He stated that HM King Hamad had authorised him to lead a
national dialogue with all political parties and that he was working to diffuse
the situation and rebuild trust between all sides. HRH the Crown Prince noted
that the steps taken earlier that day, such as the withdrawal of military units
and the reopening of the GCC Roundabout, had been intended to establish
trust and confidence between all parties, and he gave his assurance that
demonstrators would be allowed to remain at the roundabout. He stated that
he considered those protesters to be “a very significant proportion of our
society”, but that there were also other forces in society and it would be
necessary to build trust between the moderates in order to transcend the crisis.
Finally, he expressed his view that the reforms undertaken during the previous
ten years were not enough and pledged to undertake greater reform in the
future.
Sunday, 20 February 2011
277. The most significant events of the day were the widespread strikes
and demonstrations organised by employees in both the public and private
sectors. These strikes went ahead despite the announcement by the GFBTU
that it had decided to suspend the strike it had called for in light of the GoB’s
decision to withdraw the BDF from the streets and reopen the roundabout.
278. While accurate statistics are not available, estimates have suggested
that around 80-85% of employees in Bahrain went on strike on 20 February.
The first recorded strikes of the day occurred in schools throughout the
country. Starting at 07:30, teachers refused to go to work and gathered in
front of their school gates. The number of schools witnessing strikes varied in
the different governorates. In Muharraq, four schools reported striking
teachers. That number rose to eight in Manama, nine in Wusta, and 24 in
Shamaliyah.
279. Large numbers of lawyers also went on strike early that morning.
They first gathered at the Ministry of Justice and then moved to the GCC
Roundabout by noon. At 13:30, a number of employees of the Bahrain
Aluminium Company (ALBA) organised a demonstration on company
grounds. Their slogans included calls for constitutional reform, calls to ensure
national unity and reject sectarianism, condemnations of the protesters’ deaths
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