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On April 20, Bahrain's senior Shiite cleric, Sheik Isa Qassim, delivered a sermon denouncing Al Khalifa brutality. Ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix, he said crackdowns resembled "a war" zone.
"This is a crisis of a government that does not want to acknowledge the right of people to rule themselves and choose their representatives," he added.
On April 19, the US-based Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) issued a press release denouncing the "indiscriminate and systematic use of tear gas against civilian protesters and densely populated Shia neighborhoods."
According to PHR's Richard Sollom, tear gas is "potentially lethal" when used against "men, women, children, and the elderly...." Long-term health consequences include miscarriages and birth defects.
PHR's past president, Holly Atkinson, said:
"When all eyes turn to Bahrain this weekend to watch the Formula One race, we cannot forget the protesters who are being constantly attacked by their own government."
PHR expressed concern for tear gas' "suspected severe health impact on the population." It also stressed Al Khalifa hypocrisy. Despite promising long needed reforms, excessive force is used. Instead of improved conditions, they've deteriorated.
In solidarity with protesters under the banner of "#OpBahrain," the Anonymous hacking group took down Formula1's web site. At least temporarily it couldn't be accessed. An accompanying message said in part:
"For over one year the people of Bahrain have struggled against the oppressive regime of King Hamad bin Al Khalifa. They have been murdered in the streets, run over with vehicles, beaten, tortured, tear gassed, kidnapped by police, had their businesses vandalised by police, and have tear gas thrown in to their homes on a nightly basis."
It continued saying instead of reform, crackdowns increased. F1's Grand Prix "should be strongly opposed." Its governing body knows what's ongoing but plans to race anyway. Authorities promised to use live fire to assure it.
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