Bahrain is the latest country to experience social unrest in North Africa and the Middle East, as protesters in this Persian Gulf nation clash with local authorities over poverty and human rights, according to reports from the state news agency.
At least three police officers and one demonstrator have been injured in the unrest, the news agency reported. The injuries occurred during an attack on a police station during protests Sunday evening, resulting in
police fire on protesters with rubber bullets, causing one death, the news agency said.
Protesters who have organized on Facebook, Twitter and with e-mails want political reforms, including a constitutional monarchy.
To appease the growing crowd of protesters, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa offered nearly $3,000 to Bahraini families, ostensibly in celebration of Monday’s 10th annivesary of the adoption of the country’s National Action Charter.
Bahrain is home to a thriving regional banking and financial-services sector, and hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, the American naval command in charge of patrolling the Persian Gulf and the surrounding region.
The nation’s minority Sunni rulers have struggled for years to control the majority Shiite population. In recent days, the Shiite-led opposition has capitalized on the regional unrest to renew its own calls for political reform.