By Alan Baldwin
MANAMA, April 21 (Reuters) – Bahrain was under tight
security on Saturday after violent clashes between police and
anti-government protesters overshadowed this weekend’s Formula
One Grand Prix race meeting in the Gulf state.
The protesters, mostly from the majority Shi’ite Muslim
community, blame the Sunni ruling elite for shutting them out of
opportunities, jobs and housing, and are keenly aware of the
attention the motor race has focused on Bahrain, which in 2004
became the first country in the region to host Formula One.
Organisers have rejected calls from human rights groups to
cancel Sunday’s race because of what activists see as continuing
political repression. The cars take to the track again on
Saturday for practice and qualifying sessions.
“They need to fix the country first, then they can start
looking at Formula One and other events,” said Umm Hussein, one
of 10,000 demonstrators who gathered near the capital, Manama,
on Friday.
Police used teargas against masked youths throwing petrol
bombs, who were trying to reach a traffic roundabout that was a
rallying point during an uprising last year inspired by the Arab
Spring revolts that toppled the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt.
Last year’s race was delayed, and then cancelled, after a
brutal crackdown against pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain, a
financial hub and modest oil producer that is also host to the
Fifth Fleet, the U.S. Navy’s main outpost in the region.
Security forces from neighbouring Saudi Arabia came in, the
streets were cleared and 35 people, including security
personnel, died.
Since then, amid simmering unrest, Bahrain has invited in an
independent commission to prescribe reforms and has enacted
some, but human rights groups say there is still more work to be
done. They say the kingdom’s rulers are using the motor race to
improve their international image.
“We are committed to our programme of reforms, but this
week’s unbalanced coverage does little to help the progress we
are already making,” a Bahrain Information Affairs Authority
official said in a statement.
While sports journalists poured in to cover the race,
non-sports reporters from Reuters and some other news
organisations have not been granted visas to visit the Gulf
island.
Hackers brought down the F1 website intermittently on Friday
and defaced another site, f1-racers.net, to support what they
described as the Bahraini people’s struggle against oppression.
GREEN LIGHT
Manama is under tight security, with dozens of armoured
vehicles stationed around the capital and the road to the
Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Activists say barbed
wire has been installed near some parts of the main highway.
Two of the 12 teams were left rattled after witnessing
protesters throwing petrol bombs. Two members of the Force India
team went home to Britain although the other team, Sauber,
continued with race preparations.
At Bahrain International Circuit, which has been blanketed
by multiple layers of tight security, there were no incidents
during Friday’s practice runs.
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone described general
security fears as “nonsense”.
Team principals echoed the sentiment, saying they were
confident in security measures, which they said were similar to
arrangements seen at other Formula One races across the globe.
Of particular concern to security personnel are young
Bahraini protesters carrying petrol bombs who clash with police
in Shi’ite villages surrounding the capital nearly every night.
Opposition leaders say around 95 protest organisers have
been arrested in night raids in the past week and 54 people
wounded in clashes, in which police have fired birdshot.
