MANAMA, 2 January 2003 — Dozens of Bahrainis went on a rampage during New Year celebrations in the Gulf state, attacking Arab expatriates and damaging cars, hotels and shops, officials and witnesses said.
Riot police intervened early yesterday to restore calm to the capital Manama and arrested 25 rioters. Witnesses said around 30 people were injured in the area frequented mostly by visiting Saudi and Kuwaiti nationals. It was the first major violence since reforms were introduced aimed at healing sectarian rifts that sparked anti-government unrest in the 1990s.
"At least 25 Bahrainis were arrested after carrying out acts of violence on Al-Maared Avenue, in the east of the capital Manama and they will soon be brought to justice," a Bahraini official said. Those arrested "are currently under investigation to find out their motivation," he said.
"They damaged cars, hotels and commercial shops. This is an unacceptable act, because their acts hurt Bahrain," the official said. He declined to identify the rioters.
One witness said the rioters had been celebrating the New Year in the area "before they went crazy, attacking foreigners and damaging properties." "I have seen people covered with blood at a police station in Manama," the witness said. "Some cars have been burned, and at least 30 cars have either been damaged or smashed. At least 30 people have been injured," he added.
The Gulf Daily News said hundreds of youths, many of them masked, took part in the riots. It said many of the damaged cars were Saudi-registered.
The rioters also attacked a string of hotels in the area, smashing windows and causing other damage, as well as molesting hotel guests and foreigners. One of the foreigners attacked, according to the paper, was a Filipina who was stripped of her trousers. Thousands of Gulf Arabs, mainly from Saudi Arabia, spend the weekend in Bahrain. Bahrain is a key US ally and headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth fleet. Last April, Bahrainis, angry at the United State’s Middle East policy, tried to storm the heavily fortified US Embassy. (Agencies)
