ACTIVISTS SEEK TO LOWER TEMPERATURE FOLLOWING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAMA 001658 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/ITA, NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2019 TAGS: PGOV KDEM ASEC PHUM BA SUBJECT: ACTIVISTS SEEK TO LOWER TEMPERATURE FOLLOWING ARRESTS, PROPERTY DAMAGE IN WEEKEND DEMONSTRATIONS REF: A. MANAMA 1503 ¶B. MANAMA 1489 ¶C. MANAMA 1482 Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The Committee to support Shia activist Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja has decided to stop its protest activities following a weekend of demonstrations, violence and arrests. A "car parade" in support of Al Khawaja tied up traffic in Manama for hours October 28 during peak evening hours for visiting during this month of Ramadan. Police arrested 25 participants, seized their licenses and suspended their driving privileges. On October 29, masked young men lured police to an empty lot and attacked their vehicles with Molotov cocktails. Police intend to respond forcefully to additional provocations. President of the closed Bahrain Center for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab (protect throughout) told us he is searching for a face-saving way to stop the escalations and cycle of violence. The Cabinet approved a draft law imposing new regulations on those wishing to hold demonstrations. End Summary. -------------- Committee Calls Off Demonstrations -------------- ¶2. (C) Nabeel Rajab, president of the closed Bahrain Center for Human Rights told PolOff October 31 that the 20-member Committee to Support (Shia activist Abdul Hadi) Al Khawaja had decided to suspend protest activities until the end of Ramadan (about November 14). The Committee issued a press statement later the same day saying the organization would suspend its activities due to the deteriorating security situation and acts of violence that had created chaos in many areas in the last few days. Specifically, it canceled the protest scheduled for Wednesday, the day of Al Khawaja's next court session. Rajab told us that the Committee would proceed with a previously scheduled symposium the evening of November 1 during which it would solicit suggestions on "peaceful and positive ways" to support Al Khawaja. -------------- Car Parade Snarls Traffic Throughout Capital -------------- ¶3. (C) The move to halt protest activities follows a weekend of demonstrations, arrests, and property damage. On Thursday, October 28, the Committee organized a "car parade" to call for Al Khawaja's release. The organizers envisioned supporters slowly driving their vehicles in the rightmost lane in a loop on six-lane major arteries, as they had done about one month ago with little traffic disruption and no confrontation with security forces. This time, the parade caused massive problems. By about 8:00 PM, riot police lined the major highways in anticipation of the parade to begin at about 9:00 PM, the peak traveling/visiting time on this weekend evening during the month of Ramadan. According to participants in the parade, police blocked off all lanes to stop the processions. Ministry of Interior (MOI) sources dispute this, telling RSO that protesters intentionally parked their vehicles at major intersections. Whatever the cause, the traffic snarls delayed travelers up to two hours throughout Manama. ¶4. (C) At about 9:30 PM, RSO observed from the Embassy as approximately 150 demonstrators gathered at the McDonald's intersection adjacent to the Embassy compound. Some 200 police watched and formed ranks to confront the protesters only when they noticed some of the participants carrying stones. The protesters then fled the area. At midnight, RSO observed some 35 young people detained and wearing flex-cuffs on the median strip of the highway about one mile from the Embassy. (Note: The Embassy was not targeted in any way; the McDonald's intersection is a popular location for demonstrations because protesters can disrupt traffic easily throughout the area by disturbing the flow of vehicles on these major roads. End Note.) There are unconfirmed reports of police using tear gas to disperse protesters who had laid down in the highway close to the entrance of the causeway to Saudi Arabia. -------------- 25 Arrests -------------- ¶5. (C) The press reported October 29 that police had arrested 25 people, confiscated their licenses, and suspended their driving privileges for 30 days. Among those arrested are two human rights activists: spokesperson of the National Committee for Victims of Torture Abdul Raouf Al Shayeb and board member Mahmood Ramadan. According to MOI sources, both Al Shayeb and Ramadan were arrested because they had organized the event, not for provoking police or disrupting traffic. Initial charges brought against demonstrators include illegal assembly, obstructing police from carrying out their duty, violent acts, and violence against public sector employees. Charges could bring 5-7 years in jail and fines up to BD500 ($1,325) per person. -------------- Evening (Molotov) Cocktails -------------- ¶6. (C) The following day, prominent Shia cleric Shaikh Isa Qassim and opposition society Al Wifaq President Shaikh Ali Salman emphasized in their Friday sermons the importance of preserving freedoms and expressing support for Al Khawaja in a peaceful manner. However, that same evening, on October 29, a group of ten young men wearing hoods set fire to trash bins in an empty lot next to the Bahrain Mall in Sanabis. When police arrived at the scene, the men threw Molotov cocktails at the police cars, setting fire to and damaging one of them. MOI contacts told RSO that they arrested some of the attackers and are conducting investigations of others. Police are confident of making additional arrests. The MOI characterized those arrested as being supporters of Al Khawaja. These officials expressed their anger at the intentional manner in which the attackers lured police to the scene by damaging property and then tossed the Molotov cocktails. The police warned that they would deal harshly with additional provocations. Other protesters stoned a police vehicle the night of October 30 and burned tires the night of October 31. ¶7. (C) Rajab told us he had met with MOI Under Secretary Shaikh Daij bin Khalifa Al Khalifa October 30 to discuss ways to calm the situation. Rajab reported that he had condemned the violence and informed Shaikh Daij of the Committee's decision to suspend activities for the remainder of Ramadan. Rajab asserted that the Committee organized peaceful demonstrations only and feared it may not be able to control the more radical elements among Al Khawaja's supporters, such as those who had carried out the Molotov cocktail attack. He commented to us that he and the Committee were now looking for a face-saving way to stop the escalations and cycle of violence. -------------- Draft Law Coming to Parliament -------------- ¶8. (C) The Cabinet announced October 31 that it had approved a draft law to regulate rallies and demonstrations. It would require organizers of rallies and protests to obtain permits from the relevant governors' offices, and stipulates prison sentences and fines for those convicted of violations. The law must be debated in and approved by the Shura and Nowab Councils (upper and lower houses of parliament) before entering into force. Leaders of several blocs in the Nowab have already spoken publicly in support of the draft law. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) The Committee to Support Al Khawaja has taken itself out of the game for now, and people are left wondering who is responsible for the acts of violence against security forces. Rajab, Isa Qassim and Ali Salman have consistently called for peaceful acts of protest in support of Al Khawaja. An unnamed Al Wifaq source told Al Wasat newspaper October 31 that a radical wing of Al Wifaq, outside the control of Salman, was responsible for the attacks and violence. Another possibility is that bored youth are taking advantage of the charged atmosphere to carry out acts of vandalism devoid of any political meaning or intent. ¶10. (C) Comment Continued: One effect of the increasingly confrontational tactics of the opposition and strong security response has been to bolster the stature and power of the Prime Minister. He has been at best a lukewarm supporter of King Hamad's political and economic reform program, and the friction between the government and the mainly Shia opposition has permitted him to flex his law-and-order persona and muscle. He has been hailed as a hero during recent visits to Ramadan majleses in Sunni strongholds while the King and Crown Prince Salman have been much less in the public view. Ironically, Al Khawaja's bid to push the envelope on freedom of speech and expression may ultimately lead to greater restrictions in these areas, such as the draft law that will further regulate demonstrations. MONROE