Page 392 - Bahrain Gov annual reports (V a)_Neat

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In September, 1954, the Police had to deal with a strike of’bus and taxi drivers who were
opposed to the Government’s decision to impose compulsory third party insurance. They
and their friends and supporters sprinkled the main roads with nails stuck upright in the tops of
Pepsi Cola bottles. This practice was carried out on various occasions when there were strikes
or disturbances and sometimes by school-boys, when conditions were normal.

In December there was a general strike which lasted for a week. It was organised entirely
for political reasons, by the “Higher Executive Committee” which was the designation given to
themselves by the combined Sunni-Shia party. It was a peaceful strike without excitement or
disorder and all public services functioned as usual. Colonel A. H. St. G. Hamersley, who was
appointed Deputy Police Commandant, arrived during the strike.
During 1955 there was much political unrest and constant rumours of strikes and demon­
strations which did not take place. There was a flood of anonymous letters and notices which
had a strangely alarming effect upon the Arabs to whom they were sent.* The police had an
easier year as the force was increased so that at the end of 1955 there were over 400 N.C.O’s and
men and 260 Naturs. The cost to the State of Public Protection was 28-A- lakhs.
The year 1956 was for the Police the most difficult year that they had experienced. It was
a year of demonstrations and strikes culminating in violent disturbances, rioting and destruction,
in November, which finally led to the arrest of the leaders of the National Union Committee—
the new name of the Higher Executive Committee. After their arrest and trial conditions
returned immediately to normal and there were no further disturbances.
In February there was a strike among the workers of a contracting company which was
employed by the Bahrain Petroleum Company ; on March 2nd, demonstrations took place
when Mr. Sclwyn Lloyd, I I.M’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, visited Bahrain. This
was followed by local disturbances, and a strike which started on March 11th and lasted for a
week. On October 28th there was a strike in sympathy with the nationalists of North Africa.
On November 1st the Committee of National Union organised a procession in protest at
British action at Suez. The Government permitted the procession subject to certain conditions.
The conditions were ignored and the procession developed into a riot with attacks on British
and Bahrain Government premises. Next day serious disturbances occurred, buildings were
set on fire, houses occupied by Europeans, who had been ordered to evacuate their homes,
were looted, road blocks were set up and access to the aerodrome at Muharraq was made
impossible. For the next fortnight there was a state of grave disorder in Manama and
Muharraq ; shops and places of business were closed, telephone lines were cut, and there was a
general strike, but the Government maintained, with difficulty, the public services, such as
electricity supply, water and hospitals. If there had not been British troops supporting the
police the situation would have become even more serious, as it was no lives were lost and
nobody was seriously injured. During this time the police were on duty without a break, and
their resources were strained to the utmost.
The police had been increased during 1956 and they were provided with a large quantity
of motor vehicles and new equipment. Most of the men, however, were foreigners from
Oman. The possibility of obtaining Iraqis for service in Bahrain had been considered but this
project did not materialise though two Iraqi officers were employed, but they left after a short
time in Bahrain. A number of British officers were taken on in the police but several of them
left during the year, which certainly had an unsettling effect on the police organisation.