Day of Rage (Bahrain)

Day of Rage
Part of the Bahraini uprising
Protesters fleeing after security forces fired tear gas on a march in Nuwaidrat.
Date14 February 2011
Location
 Bahrain

26°01′39″N 50°33′00″E / 26.02750°N 50.55000°E / 26.02750; 50.55000
Caused byAlleged discrimination against Shias,[1] unemployment, slow pace of democratisation and Inspiration from concurrent regional protests.[1]
GoalsDemocracy, rewrite the Constitution,[2]: 67  resignation of the prime minister[3] and an end to alleged economic and human rights violations.[1]
MethodsCivil resistance and Demonstrations
Parties
Protesters
Lead figures
Number
Over six thousand[2]: 68 
Hundreds[4]
Casualties and losses
One dead and thirty injured[5]
Three injured (according to Ministry of Interior)[6]

The Day of Rage (Arabic: يوم الغضب, romanized: Yawm al-Ghaḍab) is the name given by protesters in Bahrain to 14 February 2011, the first day of the national uprising as part of the Arab Spring. Inspired by successful uprisings in Egypt and in Tunisia, Bahraini youth organised protests using social-media websites. They appealed to the Bahraini people "to take to the streets on Monday 14 February in a peaceful and orderly manner". The day had a symbolic value, being the ninth and tenth anniversaries of the country's 2002 constitution and the National Action Charter respectively.

Some opposition parties supported the protests' plans, while others did not explicitly call for demonstration. However, they demanded deep reforms and changes similar to those by the youth. Before the start of protests, the cabinet of Bahrain had introduced a number of economic and political concessions. The protests started with a sit-in in solidarity with the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 in the vicinity of the Egyptian embassy in the capital Manama ten days before the Day of Rage. On the eve of 14 February, security forces dispersed hundreds of protesters south of Manama.

On 14 February, thousands of Bahrainis participated in 55 marches in 25 locations throughout Bahrain. Protests were peaceful and protesters demanded deep reforms. The earliest demonstration started at 5:30 a.m. in Nuwaidrat, and the last took place just minutes before midnight in the vicinity of Salmaniya Medical Complex heading to the Pearl Roundabout. The largest was on the island of Sitra. Security forces responded to protests by firing tear gas, rubber bullets, stun grenades and birdshot. More than 30 protesters were injured and one was killed by birdshot. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior said a number of security forces were injured after groups of protesters attacked them.

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference AJE 14.2.2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference bici was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference MSNBC 16.2.2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference PHRHarm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Al Wasat 15.2.2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Al Wasat 14.2.2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).