The Arab Agenda

Chapter 15

Immediately after riot forces retreated, another group of protesters blocked governmental and many private office buildings, intimidating employees - and sometimes using force -- from entering their places of employment in order to achieve the objectives of placing a nation on pause to meet their unconditional demands. I was there on that day in the heart of the protests, in my office still oblivious to what was happening around me until I was called at 11.30am by a colleague to leave immediately before I may have to stay the night.

Abdul Jalil Al Singace made a speech encouraging and misleading the protesters by telling them that blocking the roads was legal and peaceful. He also encouraged them to take over government buildings stating clearly that this was "peaceful and legal".

With Al Singace's encouragement and Al Wefaqs blessings protesters moved forward to block the capital completely leading to the complete closure of the capital.

This later lead on to Muharraq being cut off from the rest of Bahrain for three days, with no fresh food supplies no access to advanced medical services and no access to work. Only opposition followers and a few Westerners (in particular journalists that would report their side of events) were able to move freely in and around the capital.

The protesters halted the food supply chain in Bahrain in an attempt to starve the majority of citizens as another form of sectarian and political escalation. On the 13th of March 2011, the protesters from the GCC roundabout invaded the University of Bahrain, breaking in by force with all kinds of white weapons (swords, daggers) and backed up by ambulances that they had commandeered to distribute weapons and provide back up if needed.

The attacks targeted Sunni and expatriate students in an attempt to escalate the sectarian tension against the government in an attempt to ignite a civil war. (Khalid Al Sardi as mentioned earlier was a victim to these kinds of attacks.)

Extremely violent clashes took place, as many students feared for their lives. Groups of students were blocked in class rooms while protestors set fires in an attempt to burn them alive.

The government had no choice except to send riot forces to the university and cleared the vicinity. The Capital was left deserted with no security. Many students were transported to the emergency rooms that day that were in the verge of life and death. The only hospital that could handle the emergency and was under capacity to handle such a disaster that was not taken by the protesters was the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital.

From that night on, citizens start calling the national television station requesting that His Majesty the King to take action. For the next three days the capital was shut down by force, preventing citizens and expats from going to their work. The mass media went silent.

Protesters did not just block the roads, they sabotaged public properties, digging trenches and using children as human shields next to their roadblocks.

The most alarming videotape of the roadblocks showed that some were set with explosives "booby traps"; such as one showing an explosion when a military vehicle approached after the implementation of the State of National Safety.

Bahrain was in a very critical situation, with all of its allies stabbing Bahrain in the back, America, Britain and the United Nations. They chose to back up accusations rather than listening to reason and accepting the solid evidence. Let me note that solid evidence exists on both sides however only one was heard.

Bahraini citizens and expats were facing death every day, fearing when going to sleep not knowing if they would ever wake the next day wondering if a group of protesters would attack them in their sleep with swords and daggers, as they did to the citizens in many towns like Hamad Town.