Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Another day of protests was witnessed by many villages and areas across Bahrain. On the eve of the February 14 uprising anniversary, the scene is almost identical to that of 2011. At that time, Bahrainis were on alert and the question was: "What is going to happen tomorrow?" The following day is the day (February 14) that has been anticipated for so long. After five years, the scene still hasn't changed. A lot of blood was shed and prisons have become packed. However, we are facing the same dilemma: There is no chance that the people would back down and that the regime would give up some of its privileges.

That's how the scene looked like on the eve of February 14 for the fifth time: Manama, the political and economic capital was cloaked with darkness. Most of its internal streets were closed; logs and rocks blocked the roads since the early hours of the evening, and shops were closed as well. Despite the general and unusual security alert, an anti-government demonstration sought its way through the capital's alleys.

Not far from Manama, in the nearby and even distant suburbs, the scene was not much different. In compliance with the general strike announced by the revolutionary forces, citizens rushed to buy their necessities earlier in the day before sunset, as when that time had come, the majority of shops shut their doors. At exactly 8:30 pm, the chants of "Allah is Great!" echoed from balconies and atop roofs.

Outside, it wasn't calm at all. On the contrary, it wasn't long before the protests staged turned into clashes. In Karzakan, they were mostly mass protests.

The Bahraini Interior Ministry for the second consecutive day carried out its exceptional emergency measures. Dozens of checkpoints and armored vehicles flooded the streets. In some areas, masked men in civilian clothing set checkpoints to search for pictures on cellphones of motorcycle drivers of demonstrations or anything that would be a pretext for conviction. It is the return of arbitrary and oppressive measures of 2011, as history is repeating itself.

This evening was merely another round of the inclusive protest program announced by the opposition. In Sitra, the Interior Ministry continued the policies it used on Friday (February 12, 2016) in A'ali, Saar and Bilad Al-Qadeem, by deploying civilian vehicles and infiltrating into the crowds of protestors. In Sfala, footage emerged of a civilian car targeting demonstrators.

The video showed the driver wielding a firearm and pointing in the direction of protestors, who responded by hurling stones at the vehicle which then fled the scene. Elsewhere in Maameer, south of Manama, two civilian cars opened live fire in a neighborhood near "Abou Al-Nas Cafeteria" before driving off.

These suppressive methods have failed to stop the uprising that erupted in 2011 and has carried on for five years, and they will not succeed today. These are live examples that took place on Saturday: Rally in Mousalla, clashes in A'ali followed a protest during which pictures of martyrs were held, demonstration in Abu Saiba' and Al-Shakhoura, a protest in Samaheej near the Bahrain International Airport, closed shops in Sadad, mass protests in Karzakan, burning tires blocking roads in Al-Muharraq and Al-Markh, fires in Iskan A'ali near the checkpoint that separates it from Al-Riffa which is described as the "apartheid checkpoint", clashes in Al-Diah with police forces and demonstrations in Abu Qowa, Sanabes, Al-Ekr, Maameer and other areas across the country.

Political parties have distanced themselves from the calls for protests. They perhaps feel cornered and restricted by the local laws after all of their leaders have been thrown behind bars. Nonetheless, that was the case in 2011. After five years nothing has changed. Many people have been either killed, imprisoned or displaced. The equation has remained as is: The oppressor and the oppressed.

Arabic Issue