Page 35 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Disturbances and strikes, 1953-1954 21

-4-
break them up, but only by futilo, Individual sorties. The
procosslon appeared now to have doubled back on Itself snd to

bo thoroughly Jammed and disorganized.
G. Police rolnforcomonts were sent to Belgrnve Road by lorry•
It fleams to have been these who bacon firing off rifles.
Although ordered by tho Adviser, and in self-dofonce• no doubt,
to unload their rifles while thoy woro In the lorryj once dis-

mounted thoy reloaded - wit bnil aiaiiunition - because, ss some
of thorn latnr said thoy "thought it batter"« Thore is *
suggestion that it was the guard at tho Agency goto who fired
first boenusu he was alurinod by a rush of Shiites who sought

shatter in our yard, There is no reliable evidence who fired
first, but thorn certainly was a bout of wild firing into the air
during which about 70 rounds of live ammunition were shot off*
Nobody,howevor,soems to have boon treated for bullet wounds.
Tho regular police were reinforced by Naturr., watchmen, who were

also armed with riflos and ball cartridge. Ko police officer or
man could afterwords be found who admitted having given or
roceivod orders to open fire. The firin.j did nothing towards
dispersing or quietening the crowd.

7. Participants in the scrimmage broke pieces of wood from a
boarby barasti-hut snd from doors and shutters} a good many'
bottles wore also available, snd it. seems to bo ostabliohed
that come Sunnite spectators on o balcony or roof overlooking"tb
acono discharged these missiles. The bottles probably caused
most of tho damage to limb that the Shiites
oust allied | but
there wore one or two cases of knife wounds, whlhh Indicate an
uglior temper in aome of tho pooplo. i ■
: ,,
8. bir Charles Belgravo, tho Adviser to the Bahrain
Government, come along with tho polico
reinforcements, ana
though clapped and cheered by the crowd,'did not have
much
auccooa in clearing the atreot. Poace did in fact1
return to Del grave Rood until tho
approach of
and that hour of the afternoon when lunch-time
al*°P is battar than
/pray^