Autonomy

Personally I think it's good to keep to one thread to keep the long term narrative of the situation...

Anyway.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012...ix-force-india

After experiencing close fire bombs 2 Force India team members leave.

Some quotes from the linked article:-

"There are fears of more violence tomorrow, since the time after Friday evening prayers is normally the most volatile. Friday also marks the start of the "Three days of rage" by the pro-democracy demonstrators."

"There is a general feeling that if anyone is hurt this weekend – at the circuit or beyond – it will be the fault of Formula One and the sport's decision to stage this race. "

"There is, though, a resigned and fearful feeling that things will get even worse in the next two days."

There are other views of course:-

"It is not a big problem and I am happy once we start testing tomorrow because then we can start worrying about the stuff that really matters like tyre temperatures, cars …"

shakh your bootie

Hello, Auto - how have you been, old chap?

I popped by to take a dip-check on how expats that know the region are responding to this issue - very gratifying to see that you maintain a balanced view of things.

Most of the teams on the grid are privately of the view that this event should not have gone ahead - although this seems to be mainly a view fuelled by a concern (arguably justifiable) more for the security of the chaps sent out there rather than the human rights of the local populace. This is not universal by any means - there are many decent sorts in the rank and file of the teams that are quite mortified by the moral dimension of the affair, also.

Me, personally - I was initially repulsed by the thought of FOM placing this fixture in the calendar. I am, however, now revising my opinion. The controversy places the legitimate concerns of the opposition in the media spotlight - which in turn places more pressure on the ruling junta to accelerate reform. Besides which, if F1 says they will only race in countries that are within x standard deviations of some arbitrary moral compass - where else ought they not race? China and Turkey spring to immediate mind.

My hopes for this week-ends race are that nobody (i.e. no-one at all, regardless of who they are) gets hurt. I would also like to see the protest movement finesse some media-worthy (and non-violent) manoeuvre to win the publicity battle. Oh, and also for a certain team close to my heart to take a podium.

And finally, inshallah, that the nations of the khaleej make some baby steps towards true democracy (and hopefully secularism also, to quash all these silly sectarian divides. Not that anyone ought be in the business of dictating to others in matters of personal faith....).

Perhaps this weekend, perversely, holds some glimmers of hope.

Autonomy

Hi SYB,

How are you sir? I had hoped you might drop by to see what was happening in our little forum.

I am pretty much in agreement with you and do think the media spotlight is going to, or rather could, help the situation.

It's still very edgy from what I read with one protester killed last night. It sounds like that apart from the planned mass demos the big fear is protest within the stadium or interruption on the grid... I really dread to think what could happen if there is a mid race incident on the track from persons on the race track. It doesn't bear thinking about...

Here's hoping that the actual race at least passes without incident and also that the security forces refrain from lethal force outside the stadium.

Some info from The Independent today:-

Though no team personnel were injured in any of the incidents, they ratcheted up the tension as more demonstrations were held. The first was on the Zayyaq Highway, close to the Bahrain International Circuit, immediately after the second practice.

Others followed in the wealthy Saar suburb and Banijamrah later in the evening. Both are near the troubled Budaiya Road area in the north-west. The US Embassy leaked information on no-go areas, which include the area to the left of Hamad Road on the route back from the circuit towards Manama, the area to the east by Sanad and Sitra which have previously seen trouble, and the north-west area by Sanabis, not far from the old Pearl Roundabout and the opulent Ritz Carlton Hotel, where a fourth demonstration was held in the vicinity of Karranah and Abu Saiba.

A fifth demonstration is planned near the University of Bahrain, much closer to the Formula One circuit, at 4pm tomorrow, right in the middle of the race.

The Bahraini government has imposed a curfew on the waterways around the kingdom between 6pm and 4am. "Of course we fear most the possibility of some sort of track invasion on Sunday during the race, or some sort of protest on the grid prior to the start," said Crown Prince Salman, who is also chief executive of Bahrain International Circuit, on Thursday evening. "But we have tried to be subtle in our security."

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/m...n-7665781.html

Tockalosh

Lmfao, you guys really shouldn't believe all you read.

The US embassy hasn't leaked no go areas, it publishes on it's website areas that are out of bounds to embassy personnel and has done for at least 16 months and probably longer.

The waterways curfue has been in place for a year

There is no mention of the 4 pipe bombs that the disloyals had cached in sitra grave yard or the fact they have been burning the highways at will.

Autonomy

Tockalosh - I wonder where you'd all gone - thought maybe Bahrain had turned off your interweb pipes...

So - what's your take on it all? Will anything "serious" happen? Should it have gone ahead? etc

Tockalosh

God only knows to be honest. By Bahrain standards it has been very quiet this weekend however please put that in perspective of Bahrain and not say Dxb or Auh.
The Police who normally keep their rubber bullet guns in the car, all have them on show and there are lots of police out and about. Whilst it appears that it got a little jolly near country mall yesterday; there did not seem to be much happening in Saar or Bani Jamrah when I passed through. Certainly didnt hear any bangs last night at all.

Perhaps its about lulling a false sense of calm in readiness for the "big" event they have planned on Sunday, who knows?

Bahrain desperately needed some income and the GP has brought that though its nowhere near as busy as it was in 2010. The hotels are on their arses, all the suppliers to the hotels are on their arses etc etc. I for one am pleased that the GP came to town though I find it boring as shit personally and prefer the V8 supercar series.

Dont believe for a minute that the disloyals are oppressed because they are not except when they lob molotovs and then they are restrained in one way or another which is just sensible maintenance of the law that affects us all.

I am sure some outsiders generally believe that Bahrain is like South Africa in the good old days but it isnt. Education opportunities are there for everyone, even now, should they wish to take them.

I have heard some disloyals complaining that they cant get a government job etc. Well problem is, they wouldnt get one if they were loyals. Those without qualifications who left school at 16 to go fishing etc are not going to stand up against those highly qualified.

However it should be known that the lack of opportunites for graduates affects both loyals and disloyals. Bahrain is a small country that has invested in education for both communities but now cant offer jobs for them because there isnt any ?
The longer the protests continue, the more companies will leave and so opportunities will get fewer and fewer.

The disloyals are badgering on about banning alcohol the minute they get meaningful governance and so this little island will become even more less desirable than it is now to foreign investors and expats.

I wonder whether Mark is still around with his business or if he has moved on ?


I accept we all have differing views and one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter and so have no issues with healthy debate but do wish ****wit journos would report accurately and no sensationalize trivia such as out of bounds maps which every tom, hamad and abdul can download in seconds. What happened to good Editors ?

scottrace

You took the words right out of our keyboard Tockalosh - what utter rubbish - the journalists should get their facts straight before publishing!!

Autonomy

It might help a little if they had let in news journalists rather than just sport reporters though... many including CNN & FT refused entry.

heartofdarkness

Think Tocks account has been taken over by GDN..and by the way the guys screaming to ban booze are the ultra conservitive Sunnis..

Scottrace as someone else said...been here a month?

Chipsnsalsa

Re Tocks, mate you're missing the bigger picture, which is that Bahrain has so much oil and gas wealth and so few people that every Bahraini could have a good standard of living and nice house for doing bugger all, if it was spread a bit more evenly.

But of course all the money, not to mention land and coastline (anyone see the article in today's - gasp - GDN, about fishermen being booted off their jetties in Manama because the land had been bought by, ahem, "VIPs") is owned by you know who, who use a little of it to hire savage rentacops to oppress anyone who deigns to disagree, to protect their unimaginably luxurious lifestyles.



Dunno where you're from mate but I tell you what - if an unelected govt back in Blighty tried shipping in thousands of foreign mercenaries to torture us into submission, molotovs would be the least of their worries!

That's what this is all about - money, faloos, readies, bds......all that bollox about religion, Iran and the rest is the mother of all smokescreens.

Regardless, the regime goofed big time by pushing for F1.....been listening to BBC Radio 5 and TalkSport all day, reading UK papers, watching CNN, BBC World, and not a mention of any motor racing, just tear gas, torture and protests. Only person looking worse than govt is poor old Bernie!

Anyway, as my dear old toothless granny once said, opinions are like arseholes - everyone's got one, and no one wants to hear yours

norsk

simple and racist. nice combo!

westendgirl1

simple, racist and actually thoroughly unpleasant!!!! no wonder he was looking for a housemaid cum g/friend before he even arrived

scottrace

So because I have only lived here 5 months I am not allowed an opinion but its ok for others to comment that dont and never have lived here at all - fair enough!

westendgirl1

NorthernLad

As far as I know Bahrain has very little oil and gas wealth, what oil it does have comes from KSA?

Bahrain used to be the poorest GCC country - has that changed?

And please ease off on the racist undertones.