Page 270 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

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256 Records oj Bahrain

REPORT 9F BOARD OF INQUIRY CONSTITUTED UNDER NOTICES 16/y)S6 and 16/1956.

1. THE Board was constituted to onquiro Into incidonts Involving
disturbances of tho poaco in Bahrain botwoon tho 2nd and l6th March, 1956,
Inclusive, It hold 21 sittings, all of thorn public, and hoard 106 witnqssos,

2, THE Boax'd have to stato that it was unable to obtain all tho
ovidonco it rouirod and had no powor to compel the attendance of any person
as a witness. It should thoroforo bo distinctly understood that (oxcopt on

the point of hooliganism) this Report can only contain tontative conclusions
bacod on such ovidonoo as tho Boai'd did obtain.

A, DISTURBANCES NEAR THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING) ON MARCH 11TH.
3* Tho origin of tho disturbance was a comparatively trivial ir/’h-*
at about 9*30 or 10 a,m, when ono of a numbor of vogotablo-sollor3, who did

not givo evidence, was involved in a disagi'oomont with a Market Inspector who
was endeavouring to cause stroot salosmon to movo their wares into tho market
building. This wa3 based on a Municipal Regulation passed 3omo yoax'3 ago

which empowered the Municipality to assign the place in which salos of fruit
and vegetables might tako place. Tho ovidonce was that tho vegotable-sollor
refused to movo and tho Inspector was abot to remove his basket into tho

Market when tho vogetablo-3ellor seized him by the coat to prevent him,
This oausod a Yomoni policoman, who doscribod himself as a "sparo" for
traffic dutios, to intorvono. Ho statod that tho vogotablo-sollor then
struck him on tho no3e and caused a scratch with a ring he was woaring, and
that ho slapped tho man in rotum in tho face "as ho felt humiliated,11 The
policeman was not armed but thoro wore throo others on patrol in tho markot
who had batons. It doos not appoar that those three intervened in any way

but the scene caused a crowd to gather and all theso policemen sought safety
in tho Municipality Offices whore thoy remained until aftor the firing at
about 3*15 P*m. Tho original vegotable-sollor had loft tho scono altogether a

4, Extremely dlvorgont ostimatos woro given to tho Board as to tho
number of people gathorod in or noar tho Squaro at this or any othor timo.
They probably varied from timo to timo, but there woro undoubtedly mary moro
than can bo accountod for by ordinary conditions of tho Markot, Inspector
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