Today marks the two-year anniversary of “Bloody Thursday,” as 17 February 2011 is now known in Bahrain. The previous day, two days after the uprising began, and two martyrs later, the King allowed protesters to assemble at the Pearl Roundabout. People felt safe and were eager to embrace this freedom, unaware of the fate that awaited them. At about 3 a.m. the next day, roughly one thousand police suddenly stormed the roundabout, firingshotguns, tear gas, rubber bullets, flashbang grenades, and wielding knives and clubs.
According to witnesses, police used knives to slice through tents, beating and firing birdshot at the occupants, some of whom were still asleep. They then pursued fleeing protesters into villages.
Police also stole property, including protesters’ wallets and mobile phones and journalists' cameras, and proceeded to vandalize and destroy protesters' cars.