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As expected, the HEC issued a proclamation on 12March in which it

expressed its shock ‘by the irresponsible criminal act’ and laid the responsibility

squarely onto the Government. The Party blamed Belgrave personally for past

shootings and for the Municipal Incident. As expected the HEC demanded the

immediate dismissal of the Adviser. However what was not expected by the

Resident was that the Movement also announced the commencement of a strike

based as what it oddly cited was the peoples’ own desire for a strike. 558 Burrows,

through the Residency’s staff, made contact with the HEC and they were urged to

end the strike. But Burrows felt that the Party’s influence over its own followers

was ‘much less than it was’. He was right, and anarchy prevailed. 559

The earliest Government reports that had reached the Residency suggested

that the police were strongly provoked and that shots had possibly been fired first

from the crowd. Further investigation suggested that a bullet extracted from one of

the victims of the affair was not police issue. The Resident did not question that the

police had fired wildly but was not able to lay the blame on them for doing so since

they had been placed in considerable danger. Nevertheless it was all too clear to

Burrows that ‘Feeling against Belgrave is unfortunately widespread, even among the

normally-responsible elements, senior merchants etc. His departure would ease

immediately the situation’, although the incident itself had nothing to do with

Belgrave personally. However the Adviser’s departure at this particular time was

seen as particularly awkward and a ‘considerable blow at our prestige’ especially it

would follow so soon after the dismissal of Glubb, Burrows thought. To ease this

558 TNA, FO 1016/465, The High Executive Committee, Bahrain, Proclamation No. 45, 12 March 1956.
559 TNA, FO 371/120544, Despatch 202, Burrows to FO, 12 March 1956.

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