Middle East protests – live updates

• Libya – clashes in the eastern city of Benghazi • Bahrain – demonstrations enter third day • Iran – President Ahmadinejad says protests are doomed 8.04am: Protests continue in the Middle East and North Africa. The latest flashpoints are Bahrain, where demonstrations continue for a third day despite the intervention of King Hadad, and Libya where the arrest of a human rights campaign sparked clashes with police in the eastern city of Benghazi. Up to 2,000 people were involved in the clashes in Libya , according to the BBC. Eyewitnesses told the BBC that the unrest had been triggered by the arrest of a lawyer who is an outspoken critic of the government. The lawyer was later said to have been released, but the demonstrations reportedly continued.. They [the witnesses] say stones were thrown at police who are said to have responded with water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets. In Bahrain protesters have occupied Pearl Roundabout, a landmark in the capital Manama. Thousands of people are expected to take part in a funeral procession for Fadhel Matrook who was killed at a funeral yesterday. Here’s a round-up by country of yesterday’s events in the region: Bahrain King Hamad tried to quell unrest by promising to investigate the killings of opposition protesters . Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima was killed in Monday’s protests. Fadhel Matrook was shot when security forces fired at crowds of people who had gathered yesterday for Mushaima’s funeral. The opposition Shia party al-Wifaq, announced that it was withdrawing from parliament in protest against the crackdown. This was a key event , writes our Middle East editor Ian Black, because political participation al-Wifaq party is seen as crucial to political stability, as a leaked US embassy cable revealed . Yemen Protests calling for removal of President Ali Abdullah Saleh have been taking place for last five days in the capital Sana’a. Yesterday pro-government supporters clashed with protesters yesterday amid alarm about increasing violence. Egypt • Elements of Egypt’s fractured political opposition are concerned that the army will hijack the revolution . They are alarmed by the army’s unilateral declarations of reform and the apparent unwillingness of senior officers to open up genuine negotiations with activists. • The Muslim Brotherhood announced that it plans to set up a political party. • The Guardian is compiling a database of those missing and detained during the unrest in Egypt . • Barack Obama said his administration was “on the right side of history” for its response to the downfall of the Mubarak regime. • CBS News journalist Lara Logan is recovering in hospital after being violently attacked and sexually assaulted by a mob in Egypt’s Tahrir Square on Friday. Iran The authorities confirmed that a second person had died in Monday’s unrest, in which security forces used teargas, pepper spray and batons against the protesters. Around 1,500 were arrested in the protests. M Ps have branded opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mirhossein Mousavi “corrupt on earth” a charge that carries the death penalty. Jordan The government sought to head off trouble by easing restrictions on public gatherings. Jordan’s interior minister Saed Hayel Srour said that protesters would still have to inform authorities of any gathering two days in advance to ensure public safety. Tunisia The new government extended a state of emergency in place since Zine al Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia, but ended a curfew imposed during the protests. Morocco The government appears to be trying to calm fears over price hikes on basic goods ahead of a Facebook-arranged protests planned for next Sunday. It has doubled the money it sets aside for state subsidies to counter rising global commodity prices. Middle East Bahrain Iran Libya Egypt Tunisia Yemen Jordan Morocco Matthew Weaver guardian.co.uk

Posted by on February 16, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry