(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The protesters clashed with regime forces on Saturday, a day before the car race, calling for the cancelation of the sporting event over the regime’s crackdown on peaceful protests.
The protesters say the Manama regime wants to use the car race as a front to portray the situation in the Persian Gulf kingdom as normal.
Similar demonstrations were held on Friday, when tens of thousands of Bahrainis rallied along the Budaiya highway west of Manama to demand the cancelation of the race.
On Thursday, anti-F1 protests were also held across the kingdom. Regime forces fired tear gas and birdshot at protesters in several towns, including the Sitra and Diraz. Dozens of protesters were also arrested.
Bahrainis have held several anti-F1 rallies over the past few weeks, stressing that "as long as there are oppression, arrests and killings, there should not be a Formula One."
Bahrain's main opposition bloc al-Wefaq says more than 100 people have been arrested ahead of the race.
Formula One is Bahrain's premier international event. Bahrain pays an estimated USD 40 million a year to host the race.
It was cancelled in 2011 as the result of mass anti-regime protests in the country, but in 2012 it went ahead despite protests.
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