15 February 2011 - 20:30

The magnitude of the pro-democracy protests in Bahrain is unprecedented in the history of the kingdom and the authorities' efforts to quell them are ineffective, an activist says

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The magnitude of the pro-democracy protests in Bahrain is unprecedented in the history of the kingdom and the authorities' efforts to quell them are ineffective, an activist says.

“This is the first time in Bahrain's history that I see this many people in an open area like this,” Maryam al-Khawaja from Bahrain Center for Human Rights told Press TV on Wednesday.

“Sunnis and Shias and all parts of the Bahraini society are here and they are demanding that the regime change,” she added.

“Despite the fact that the king has come to the TV and offered his condolences, it really has had no effect on the protesters, and more and more people are joining the protesters in the Pearl Roundabout (in Manama),” al-Khawaja noted.

Bahrain's king has announced that an investigation will be launched into the death of two Bahraini protesters during the protests.

“People say we cannot trust the regime and this king anymore,” al-Khawaja said.

“We do not know what is going to happen next but either the government tries to respond violently … or lets the people go ahead; either way, the people are demanding one thing and that is they are not going to stop until the regime changes,” she added.

The crisis in Bahrain has taken a new turn after the main opposition party quit the parliament in protest to the killing of anti-government protesters by the police.

Bahrain was rocked by a third day of anti-government protests on Wednesday, inspired by revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. Thousands have taken to the streets across the Persian Gulf kingdom.

The demonstrators say the ruling Sunni minority shuts them out of housing, healthcare and government jobs.

The protesters called for a “Day of Rage” on Monday to mark the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter, which ushered in a new Bahraini constitution.

London-based rights group Amnesty International has recently issued a report on Bahrain's human rights problems, pointing to arrests and torture of opposition figures.

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