The people of Bahrain in several cities and regions of the country have held marches and protest gatherings to express their support for the detained Shia scholars and to protest their trial process. The gatherings have been particularly held ahead of the trial of the religious scholars in the country, which is set to lead to the announcement of their verdicts on November 8.
Protests and Calls for 'Public Anger'
Grassroots groups have announced their readiness to hold a day of 'Public Anger'. According to reports, residents of the areas of Duraz, Karbabad, Al-Muharraq, Abu Saibah, Samahij, Karana, Al-Hajar, Shahrakan, and Sitra Island gathered on Friday night to express their support for the detained scholars. Participants chanted slogans in support of the imprisoned scholars, calling for the cessation of judicial proceedings against them and expressing opposition to what they described as sectarian trials targeting the Shia community in Bahrain.
Increase in Security Forces
These gatherings took place amid reports of increased security forces presence on the streets and in various regions of Bahrain. The organizing committee for the day of 'Public Anger' stated in a statement that the increased presence of security forces in the cities and streets of the country indicates the government's concern over the escalation of protests. The committee has urged citizens to participate in a protest movement titled 'Necklace of Dignity' to express their support for the detained scholars.
The organizers have also emphasized the peaceful nature of the protests and the importance of refraining from harming others. In a separate statement, the trial of the detained scholars was described as a sectarian action, and any assault on their dignity was warned against. The statement emphasizes that issuing verdicts against these scholars based on their religious beliefs would mean targeting the Shia community in Bahrain.
Political groups and human rights activists in Bahrain had previously criticized recent actions, calling for the release of detainees and the cessation of arbitrary arrests. Additionally, the World Assembly of Ahlulbayt (AS) condemned the Bahraini government's action of revoking the citizenship of 69 citizens and the detention of several prominent scholars. As the time for announcing the verdicts in the case of the detained scholars approaches, the protest developments in Bahrain and the calls from grassroots groups for gatherings on November 8 have become the focus of local and regional media.
