Bahrain Video Special: How the Tear-Gassing of A Village Begins
By now, regular EA readers will be familiar with the stories and images of Bahraini security forces tear-gassing villages in their efforts to enforce order.
The video from Samaheej on Saturday, however, is beyond the "routine". It offers an insight into how the use of the tear gas --- and the escalation into violent clashes --- begins.
At the start of the clip, residents are in discussion with the police, seeking the release of a young man who has been detained. There is no resolution --- instead, one police officer suddenly lobs a tear gas canister at youths behind the front line of the encounter.
Indeed, note that many of the officers are holding canisters, in the expectation that they will soon be used. One policeman tosses his canister at a man standing nearby. In a moment of black comedy, the resident kicks it back at the police, setting off an impromptu football game as the officers try to scramble the canister away.
And then it is much more than a game, as most of the policemen hurl their weapons into the village.
Although this video ends, others take up the story. For example, here is a clip of policemen raiding a house in Samaheej, getting access through the roof:
And by late afternoon, the situation deteriorates into riot police facing Molotov-carrying youths:
Bahrain
Reader Comments