By DPA,
Safriya (Bahrain): Tens of thousands of opposition protesters marched on the palace of Bahrain king Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa in Safriya north of capital Manama Saturday.
Some 30,000 people took part in the march, with many wearing martyr’s clothing to show their anger over police and military action against protesters since the reform protests began in mid-February.
The march came a day after a similar opposition protest where thousands of opposition protesters tried to reach the royal court in Riffa, which is seen as the ruling capital, ended up in clashes.
There was no police presence surrounding the palace – which is used for official events involving the king – Saturday and the protesters were allowed to march from nearby villages to its gates.
There, they chanted their demands for constitutional reforms and a change of cabinet before dispersing after a few hours.
Bahrain’s protests inspired by successful anti-government movements in Tunisia and Egypt – began Feb 14 to demand reforms. But the protests quickly escalated into clashes that left seven protesters dead and hundreds injured in its first week.
Shiite Muslims make up over 70 percent of Bahrain’s population but the ruling family is Sunni Muslim.