The Bahraini crown prince ordered the removal of the military from Pearl Square, a landmark in the country’s capital city that has become the heart of its populist protests, after security forces opened fire yesterday on marchers making their way toward the square. Thousands of demonstrators then regained control after overcoming police who were left in place to block access to it but eventually withdrew. The military withdrawal came after the country’s main Shiite opposition group rejected a call to negotiate with Bahrain’s Sunni monarch until authorities pulled the military off the streets. Pearl Square has quickly refilled with demonstraters waving Bahraini flags, praying, and honking horns. The Bahrain royal family has made an appeal for dialogue to end the unrest.
Protesters in Bahrain retake Pearl Roundabout [CNN]
Protesters Retake Central Square in Bahrain [NYT]
