Foreign Office Minister concerned at ban on protests in Bahrain
Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt has commented on the ban on all rallies in Bahrain
Responding to the announcement by Bahraini Interior Minister, Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, that all rallies in Bahrain will be banned because of security concerns, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt said:
“I am concerned that the Government of Bahrain has decided to ban all rallies and public gatherings until further notice. We understand the Government’s concerns about maintaining law and order, especially when faced with increasingly violent protests, but a blanket ban of this nature is excessive. Peaceful protest is a democratic right. I hope the Bahraini Government will rescind this measure as quickly as possible. I also call on protesters to desist from violent protest. Violent acts should be condemned publicly by prominent members in society.”