A female protester stands in front of riot police on the road leading to Pearl Square in the Bahraini capital of Manama.Anti-government protesters in Bahrain swarmed back into the symbolic Pearl Square on Sunday, putting riot police to flight in a striking victory for their cause and confidently setting up camp for a protracted stay.
MANAMA, BAHRAIN – FEBRUARY 20: An anti-government protestor gestures in front of police as demonstrators re-occupy Pearl roundabout on February 20, 2011 in Manama, Bahrain.
7:16 am 20/2/ 2011 (Bahrain) Following another day of clashes, anti-government protesters reclaim the Pearl Roundabout.
Our correspondent on the scene reports that while the government’s withdrawal of security forces was “aimed that starting negotiations”, anti-government protesters remained angry. He observed:
Demands have hardened from the beginning of the week. Some say what they want is a change of government, some say that the prime minister should be sacked and others say that the king should go as well.
People are saying that given the people who have died and the number injured they will continue to come here … many are saying they are not going to leave as they have not got the reform they were asking for.
All of them are asking for constitutional reform. The opposition are asking for a constitutional monarchy, like in the UK or Australia – Aljazeera
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