Page 279 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Report into March disturbances, 1956 265
voluntoors nppointodVby tho National Union Committoo and wearing badgos

woro ongagod in roguloting tho traffic at tho scono of the start of tho
incident• Tho appoaranco of this particular car in the streets could
provido occasion for tho display of factional fooling if such oxistod, Tho

wholo affair is an illustration of how quite serious incidonts can dovolop
from tho atmosphoro of oxcitoment and tension which exists during a strike.
10. In tho absonco of further evidence, tho Board consider that in
goneral tho miscellaneous incidonts referred to in paragraph 15 (all of
which*can bo dealt with under normal procoss of law) woro tho acts of persons

who took illogal measures olthor singly or in small uncontrolled groups to
bring trado and traffic to a standstill as a protest to tho Government for the
firing by the police on March Uth and to forco it to take action in that
matter. It ’ay woll bo that tho other complaints against tho Govommont out­
lined in paragraph 12 of this Report woro also in tho minds of those persons.

Othor persons may havo taken advantago of tho opportunity to pursue a private
quarrol, o.g. tho incident at lledd on 34th March. Yet others may havo acted
out of sheer bravado arid lawless abandon o.g. tho shooting of an apparently
inoffensive pedo3trian from a passing car on 12th March. Tho perpetrators

of theso and similar acts can bo doalt with under tho Law as also can
anybody who is proved to havo aided, abetted, incitod or procured the samo.
Such acts could not bo tolerated in any civilized noiiununity and tho gonoral
public are entitled to look to thoir Government for protection.

D. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

19, The Board wore disturbed at tho ovj.donco of tho fi»yHn«j of a
revolvor (withanmunition) and a dagger on two civJH:.oil’..cjr of whom was

in possession of a licenco for his weapon, as woll as by tho fact that a percod
in tho vicinity of the Square was wounded at tho time of the firing by tho
. j
police on March 11th by a bullet not fired from a police woapon and another •?
man was wounded on tho Jufair Road tho following day by a similar bullet. For

tho safoty of the goneral public tho import wearing and carrying of firearms i
(in which term bayonets and daggers aro includod) without a liconco or under
authority aro prohibited at all timos and not moroly in a tiino of disturbance.
This is undor tho Possossion of and Traffic in Arms 01x11001100 1955 and tho
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