Alwaght- Bahrainis have held more protests to condemn the United States Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to their country even after he left the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom. The protesters were carrying banners that read, “US is the enemy of free peoples.”
The anti-regime protesters took to the streets in the village of Diraz, west of the capital, Manama, after Friday prayers.
They protested the US policies towards the Bahraini people and accused the US of being a partner of the Al Khalifah regime in shedding the blood of fellow peaceful protesters.
On Thursday, people held demonstrations across Bahrain to voice outrage at Kerry’s visit to the tiny Persian Gulf state, setting fire to US flags and Kerry’s portraits.
Before the visit, Kerry came under fire from human rights groups, who demanded a tougher US stance with regards to the kingdom’s heavy-handed suppression of anti-regime protesters.
On Friday, Kerry wrapped up his short visit to Bahrain, a key US ally in the Middle East, which hosts the Fifth Fleet of the US Navy.
The demonstrators said during the protest on Friday that they will keep protesting till their just demands are met.
Ahead of the trip, Kerry found himself under fire from human rights groups, who calling for a tougher US stance on the kingdom's violent suppression of dissent.
They cited the cases of several bloggers and political opposition leaders serving jail terms or awaiting sentences.
In a clear insult to the Bahraini peoples struggle for emancipation, the top U.S. diplomat praised the country’s repressive King and foreign minister for the "seriousness" with which they pushed human rights.
In quite hypocritical remarks, Kerry was much more forceful in his criticism of Bahrain's opposition for boycotting the last election, a move which he said "polarizes things instead of helping."
