Calls for mass protests in Bahrain widely ignored


Calls for mass protests on 14 August – styled as ‘Bahrain Tamarrud’ by some opposition groups – went largely unheeded, in part the result of a pre-emptive government initiative that has seen support rise for the more conservative elements of the ruling family.Hardline opposition groups had put out multiple and sometimes conflicting calls for a day of mass protests: some called for a general strike, others for road blocks or more violent disruption. But the more mainstream opposition political societies instead sent out a general message of support for peaceful demonstration. Al-Wefaq, the largest Shiite opposition political group, issued a statement through its general secretary, Ali Salman, affirming the right of any group to peaceful protest.