Anti-government protests continued in Bahrain’s capital Manama on Sunday. Hundreds of protesters spent the night in Pearl Square after the withdrawal on Saturday of security forces, a day after firing on marchers trying to reach the site.
See also Wikipedia 2011 Arab World Protests
Major protests; occupation of main public spaces with peaceful chanting of men and women.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent James Bays has the latest from Pearl Roundabout in the capital Manama.
The Pearl Monument is at the center of a roundabout in Manama, Bahrain. The area is eponymously named Pearl Roundabout (also Lulu Roundabout, from the name in Arabic). The monument itself is comprised of six dhow “sails” projecting up to the sky, which come together to hold a pearl at the top. The six sails designate the six Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, and the pearl symbolizes united heritage. At the base of the monument is a dodecagonal pool with fountain jets. The roundabout is located in Manama’s financial district.
Pearl Roundabout has been compared to Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the main site of demonstrations during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.
Bahrain is home to the United State Navy’s Fifth Fleet
Naval Support Activity Bahrain (or NSA Bahrain) is a United States Navy base, situated in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and United States Fifth Fleet. NSA Bahrain is the primary base for the naval and marine activities in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).