Second anniversary of Bahrain protests marked with fatal shooting

Two years after protests erupted in Bahrain on 14 February 2011, police shot a teenager dead as protesters marked the anniversary.

Protesters gathered on 14 February across Bahrain to commemorate the second anniversary of the onset of anti-government protests, the so-called "Day of Rage".

Demonstrations took place in majority-Shia villages such as Sitra, while protesters also attempted to march to the site of the former Pearl Square in the capital Manama. The highly symbolic site was the epicentre of protests until it was destroyed by government forces in March 2011.

They shall not pass

Aware of the likelihood that protesters would attempt to reoccupy the site on the anniversary, security forces were deployed en masse and succeeded in holding back the rally.

Chief of Public Security Major-General Tariq Hassan al-Hassan warned that the perpetrators of any illegal behaviour would "be dealt with swiftly" and this set the tone for the day. As with previous demonstrations, protesters in villages barred roads with burning tyres and obstacles. In response, police fired shotgun rounds and tear gas canisters while attempting to disperse the crowds, wounding many.