Bahrain Video Diary, Part 2: The Freedom Torch Marches Across the Country

The Freedom Torch ceremony in Shahrakan, 3 November

See also Bahrain Video Diary, Part 1: The Freedom Torch Marches Across the Country

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The Freedom Torch continues to make its way across Bahrain, with a climactic rally on Tuesday in Sanabis, near the site of Pearl Roundabout/Martyrs Square, the symbolic centre of protests since 14 February. An EA correspondent, "Mr Ahmed", tracked the start of the month-long procession in an initial post last week. Now he presents Part 2 of his video diary, tracking the march of the flame at the start of November. Part 3, taking the Torch to Sanabis, follows tomorrow:

3 November: Shahrakan

The success of the Freedom Torch, with the daily videos, of its progress has made more villages keen to host it --- some have even started preparing to welcome it without actually knowing if it will visit.

This has added the new challenge to the 14 February Coalition of how to pass the flame to all the villages before its last destination on 22 November. With time was running short, some villages are sharing the Freedom Torch with nearby ones, and more than one festival may be organised on the same day.

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Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: "The Government Wants the People To Become More Violent"

2127 GMT: Though our sources suggest that the protesters are still in the streets, and the gunfire is still being reported in many places across Syria, and the total may rise, the LCCS reports that 20 more civilians have been killed today in Syria:

Syria: The number of martyrs today, thus far, is 20. Among them were two women and a child. 15 of the martyrs were in Homs, 3 in the Hama suburbs, and 1 martyr each from both Deir Ezzor and Raqqa

2124 GMT: A loud, enthusiastic, and defiant crowd protests tonight in Qalamoun, Damascus:

2112 GMT: Yemen's President may sign a Gulf-State plan to transfer power to his deputy tomorrow, according to the opposition:

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Egypt, Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Democracy's Discontents

Egyptian police beat protesters --- note the man knocked unconscious by a baton --- and drag them away, including one by the hair, just off Tahrir Square

See also Syria Feature: The Spectre of Civil War in Homs
Bahrain 1st-Hand Special: Security Forces Break Up a Teenager's Funeral
Saturday's Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The "Forgotten" Protests That Never Went Away

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2125 GMT: A mass rally in Hama in Syria tonight:

2045 GMT: A protester throws back a tear gas canister in Tahrir Square in Cairo this afternoon:

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Bahrain 1st-Hand Special: Security Forces Break Up a Teenager's Funeral

See also Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The "Forgotten" Protests That Never Went Away

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EA correspondents in Bahrain have been closely following the case of 16-year-old Ali Alsatrawi, killed by a police jeep on Friday night in Juffair. They have tried to put together the story of his death and have attended his funeral today.

Just after midnight local time, one of the correspondents sent in this vivid report, moving from the funeral to a tale of cat-and-mouse with security forces who broke up a protest after the burial and pursued mourners with tear gas and rubber bullets:

I just got back home in Sitra. The police are still tear-gassing the villages roads. I had to sneak in --- thank God I almost know all the back entrances.

I have seen burning tyres on some of the roads, I think protesters burned them after the massive attack by the police on the funeral. The size of the force was huge --- I don't remember seeing this many mercenaries since the last attack on Martyrs Square in March!! I almost got captured by them twice today! This was a very long and stressful day....

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Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The "Forgotten" Protests That Never Went Away

Body of a 16-year-old, Ali Alsatrawi, lies next to the police jeep that hit him last night in Bahrain

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2205 GMT: Egyptian State media are reporting that one person was killed and 676 injured in today's clashes in Cairo.

2105 GMT: Video of Said Qaddafi, captured today, on the plane to Zintan:

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Bahrain 1st-Hand: Friday's "For Democracy" Opposition Rally

The opposition's montage of the Friday rally "For Democracy"

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An EA correspondent reports from Bahrain on Friday's "For Democracy" rally organised by five opposition groups:

Tens of thousands of people participated in the rally organised yesterday by the opposition societies, demanding transformation to a democratic system in which the people are the source of authority.

Bahraini flags, along with flags from the "Arab Spring" countries were waving high during the march that began at A'ali roundabout and reaching Salmabad roundabout before returning to its starting point.

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Bahrain Interview: Former MP Matar Ibrahim Matar on His Detention and The Country's Future

If we show tangible results through reform, then the youth will move towards reform rather than revolution. But without progression and with the government’s denial of the existence of a political problem, the people will go for a violent revolution.

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Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: An Attack on a Major Military Complex?

2152 GMT: Another clip of the occupation of the Kuwaiti Parliament tonight:

2042 GMT: In Kuwait, after months of discontent at the lack of reform and the failure to seriously tackle corruption, 20 opposition members of parliament boycotted a parliamentary session earlier today. In the evening, thousands of protesters descended on the Parliament building. AFP reports:

Thousands of Kuwaitis stormed Parliament on Wednesday after police and elite forces beat up protesters marching on the Prime Minister's home to demand he resign, an opposition MP said.

"Now, we have entered the house of the people," said Mussallam al-Barrak, who led the protest along with several other lawmakers and youth activists also calling for the dissolution of Parliament over alleged corruption.

The demonstrators broke open parliament's gates and entered the main chamber, where they sang the national anthem and then left after a few minutes.

The police had used batons to prevent protesters from marching to the residence of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling family, after staging a rally outside parliament.

Video of the occupation of the Parliament building has been posted. In this clip, occupiers sing as they move into the building:

Protesters are reported to have now moved into Erada Square --- a man raises the Kuwaiti flag:

The background to tonight's development, from the Kuwait Times:

In one of the most "exciting" political dramas in Kuwait, the government and its supporters in the National Assembly succeeded in scrapping a grilling against the prime minister, but the opposition immediately filed a fresh quiz, setting the stage for a fierce confrontation.

Several opposition MPs meanwhile warned the government that popular anger was growing rapidly and could explode anytime if the government insisted on protecting the prime minister against grillings.

The drama began when Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi put for debate a government request to scrap a grilling filed against prime minister in March by MPs Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Abdulrahman Al-Anjari, claiming that it is unconstitutional following a constitutional court ruling last month.

The court said in a controversial ruling that the prime minister cannot be grilled for violations committed by his ministers and he can only be questioned for issues under his direct authority.

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Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A New Phase in the Conflict

2115 GMT: Several of EA's sources are reporting that rolling electricity blackouts and oil shortages are getting worse across Syria, but some are saying that Aleppo, because of its high electricity and oil usage, may be hit the hardest. Now Josh Landis shares this story on Syrian Comment, where the full impact of sanctions is rapidly becoming clearer:

A friend writes that his parents cannot find cooking gas in Aleppo. The replacement bottles for the stove are unavailable in the market. Mazoot, or fuel-oil, which is used to heat homes, power taxis and farm equipment is also absent. Aleppo authorities also warn that extended electric cuts are coming due to lack of power. Syria is facing a cold winter. Older people are standing in lines to get small containers of mazoot filled. The Syrian pound has fallen to 54.25 to a dollar.

2112 GMT: Our favorite fight of the day now has subtitles (see update at 1943 GMT).

2105 GMT: This young Bahraini girl was reportedly arrested with her family at a recent march. She speaks to a large crowd (with English subtitles):

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Bahrain Interview: Alaa Shehabi on Her Husband's Detention and the Fight for Rights

Ghazi Farhan and Alaa ShehabiSo there has been an utter lack of fairness in anything that has happened. The entire state apparatus has been turned into tools of repression and persecution. As far as the types of people who have been arrested: you could be sharing a prison cell with some of the best athletes, the best teachers in the country, even the best doctors were there at one point. The dragnet just swept across the entire spectrum of society. And you must have heard of the case of twenty doctors being convicted to fifteen years in prison. These sentences were handed out like parking tickets. In fact, a parking ticket takes longer to issue than some of these sentences, given they were held in these military tribunals.

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