Bahrain’s uprising began on Feb. 14, 2011, when thousands
protested in Manama to demand government reforms. Billed as a
“Day of Rage,” it followed mass demonstrations in Tunisia and
Egypt. Bahrain’s protesters were mainly Shiites, who have long
been the majority in the island-nation but who have also felt
ignored by the island nation’s minority Sunni government. A key
flashpoint was Prime Minister Khalifah ibn Sulman al Khalifah,
who had been the head of government since 1971. The emerging
opposition began to demand his resignation after 40 years in
power. Protests continued daily through February and March in
Manama and surrounding Shiite neighborhoods as al Wefaq, the
main opposition party, suspended its participation in
Parliament. The government initially allowed protesters to fill
the Pearl Roundabout, a major landmark in the capital of Manama.
But they soon began using tear gas and rubber bullets to
disperse protests. On March 14, 2011, the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) announced that it would send tro