Bahrain Protests

Bahrain protests — there's a tent for political seminars. Another tent is a media center where young men and women are busy on laptops and fiddling with video cameras. One tent is even giving haircuts.

Pearl Square has turned into a village of its own as protesters here enter their third week of a challenge to a royal family that has ruled for two centuries. Having wrested control of the square from authorities following a bloody battle with soldiers, the protesters here say they won't leave until they have an elected government in this small island country in the oil-rich Persian Gulf.






The Sheik of Bahrain, Sir Sulman-Bin-Hamman-Bin Isa Al Khalifa


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The royal family says the demonstrations have devastated the tourist industry and worsened unemployment. The king, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, assigned Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to hold talks with the opposition and ordered the creation of 20,000 government jobs.

Bahrain has more liberal tendencies than its neighbors, Saudi Arabia among them. Women can vote, and although Islam is the official religion, Jewish synagogues and Christian churches are permitted.

For centuries, it was known for the beauty of its pearls, but the discovery of oil in the gulf in the 1930s largely put an end to the industry. It has been friendly toward the United States, allowing the stationing of U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet on its shore.

Pearl Square is also where strategy is devised and plans executed. On Sunday, thousands of Shiites blocked the entrance to the prime minister's office but failed to disrupt the weekly Cabinet meeting of Sheik Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the prime minister and the king's uncle.

More about Bahrain protests.