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Rubber bullets denial
By BASMA MOHAMMED
Published: 2nd June 2008
FISHERMEN accused riot police of using rubber bullets to disperse a peaceful demonstration over land reclamation in Muharraq yesterday. Sources confirmed that at least one person who took part in the demonstration was treated for bruising at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).
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Rubber bullets denial
By BASMA MOHAMMED
Published: 2nd June 2008
FISHERMEN accused riot police of using rubber bullets to disperse a peaceful demonstration over land reclamation in Muharraq yesterday. Sources confirmed that at least one person who took part in the demonstration was treated for bruising at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).
An Interior Ministry spokesman later denied that police used rubber bullets and claimed they were no longer used in Bahrain.
However, area municipal councillor Mohammed Hassan Abbas was among those who claimed they had been hit by projectiles fired by police.
The riot police were called in when more than 60 fishermen and their supporters blocked a road on a piece of reclaimed land, which used to be where they moored their boats.
“The officers and the riot police came to the scene and asked the protesters to move their cars,” said Mr Abbas.
“While they were doing this, the police started shooting – instead of firing in the air they fired on the protesters and I was one of the first to get hit in four places, including the abdominal area and the foot.
“I wasn’t in favour of the fishermen blocking the road, this wasn’t right, but the police didn’t have the right to shoot the fishermen in this brutal way.”
The area is located in Al Dair and the fishermen were protesting the loss of their harbour to reclamation and declining fish stocks, which is affecting their business.
“The protest started at around 7am and suddenly the riot police came,” said protester and former Fishermen’s Union president Isa Al Saleh.
“They told the fishermen to move their cars out of the way otherwise they would start shooting.
“Within five minutes they started shooting from about one metre to 1.5 metres at the fishermen, who had young children and old men with them in the protest.
“We had a licence to hold this protest and we might have blocked the way, but we didn’t harm anyone.
“It was a peaceful protest just like we were authorised to do.”
He said the fishermen wanted companies that reclaim land for major projects to remedy damage caused to the environment by undertaking projects such as building artificial reefs.
“We need those companies to fix the damage they have caused to the environment and the sea creatures, like in Kuwait,” he said.
“There a big oil company offset the damage it caused by putting an artificial reef in the area and getting the fish to a safer place to live.”
Mr Al Saleh added that many fishermen were now struggling to catch enough fish to earn a proper living.
“There are more than 50 fishermen in the northern area alone,” he said.
“In Al Dair and Samaheej there are more than 150 fishermen.”
An Interior Ministry spokesman yesterday confirmed that riot police were called in to disperse the protesters after several complaints that protesters were blocking roads.
However, he denied rubber bullets were used.
“But there were no rubber bullets used, let alone in Bahrain – we don’t use rubber bullets.
“We came to ask the protesters to move their cars out of the way and warned them more than once to do.
“Then the riot police came to solve it and the fishermen ran at the sight of them.
“We weren’t there to stop the protest, which was licensed, and they weren’t asking for anything against the law. They were only asking for their rights.”
Current Fishermen’s Union president Hussain Al Mughani was not present at the protest, but confirmed the organisation was asking for all registered fishermen to receive BD28,000 compensation.
“We are asking these companies to give BD28,000 for each registered fisherman, just like they did to some fishermen in the Northern Governorate,” he said.
However, Fishermen Union member Ahmed Al Akraf later revealed only 12 fishermen in the Northern Governorate had received the payment because they had licences dating back to before land reclamation started.
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http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=219119&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=31074
