Bahrain GP situation: postponed, reinstated, cancelled

[myurr]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17788091

This is how the protestors should be behaving. They have marched, spread their message, got their point across, and no one was hurt.

I maintain that there wouldn't have been any media interest in the area had there not been a GP, so it's helped them get their message out to a wider audience, but this is how it should be done. I hope all those supporting the protestors will condemn any violence over the rest of the weekend such as the petrol bombings referenced further down in the article.

[GrizzleBoy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17788091

This is how the protestors should be behaving. They have marched, spread their message, got their point across, and no one was hurt.

I maintain that there wouldn't have been any media interest in the area had there not been a GP, so it's helped them get their message out to a wider audience, but this is how it should be done. I hope all those supporting the protestors will condemn any violence over the rest of the weekend such as the petrol bombings referenced further down in the article.

Agreed 100%.

Attacking innocents who are only there to do their job are the actions of terrorists and as such, will only align their cause with that type of group if they insist on going down that road.

They can protest all they like about dictatorship, but if their intent is to scare and/or attack innocent people who are barely connected to those they are in disagreement with, then I honestly don't see how they can proclaim to be any different.

[Richard]

Attacking innocents who are only there to do their job are the actions of terrorists .

Be careful about such condemnation.

There's been disturbances like that on those streets for over a year. Are the pitched battles meant to spontaneously stop as a car comes along, then restart once the car has passed? How are they to know which cars contain people associated with F1 compared to normal traffic?

I'd put it another way, those F1 people are wilfully putting themselves in an area of ongoing civil disturbance. So that suddenly turns stone throwing protesters into terrorists?

[myurr]

For me it depends if those stone (or petrol bomb) throwing protestors are attacking civilian targets full stop, regardless of whether they are F1 related or locals.

If there is civil disobedience against the police forces that aims to disrupt not murder then that is just about tolerable. If they seek to injure or carry out acts of violence against any civilian target, or if they seek to murder police officers, then that becomes terrorism.

If those police officers are from an oppressive regime that curtails all human rights etc. then at some point they would become freedom fighters, but I don't have a clue where that line is drawn or by whose standards they should be judged as freedom fighters or terrorists. There can be no clear cut answer to that one. But hopefully we can all agree that any acts of violence against any civilian target, F1 related or not, should be condemned.

[sAx]

Attacking innocents who are only there to do their job are the actions of terrorists .

Be careful about such condemnation.

There's been disturbances like that on those streets for over a year. Are the pitched battles meant to spontaneously stop as a car comes along, then restart once the car has passed? How are they to know which cars contain people associated with F1 compared to normal traffic?

I'd put it another way, those F1 people are wilfully putting themselves in an area of ongoing civil disturbance. So that suddenly turns stone throwing protesters into terrorists?

+1! =D>

There is a lot of incendiary language on this thread, which says a lot considering general topic of Molotov cocktail hurling 'terrorists'. Without a level of understanding of what precipitates the protesters to act in this way, it is difficult to condemn them for their actions. If Mr. E had exercised the 'Corporate' in 'FOM Responsibility', then it may have gone some way to diffuse tensions on the ground.

sAx

[SeijaKessen]

This is a press release by the hacker collective Anonymous regarding their DDOS attack on Formula One's website.

Anonymous Press Release - Operation Bahrain

Thursday - April 19, 2012 7:00 PM ET USA

Anonymous has watched with growing alarm the incredible human rights abuses of the Bahrain regime. We have watched this tyrannical government tear gas it's own people literally to death, with over 30 fatalities so far. We have watched as thousands of innocent protesters and activists have been jailed. We have suffered with our dear friend @AngryArabiya on Twitter as she watches her father slowly die of a hunger strike in prison to protest the atrocities committed by the regime of this "king" of Bahrain. We have witnessed doctors and nurses imprisoned for simply treating the wounded protesters that your security forces have brutalized. And finally we have suffered in outrage the ignorance and out right lies of mainstream media regarding what is REALLY happening in Bahrain.

1) This is NOT a Shia uprising against a Sunni government. It is a popular and peaceful revolt against the medieval concept of absolute monarchy. It is a movement that spans all strata and sectors of society, and all religions in Bahrain. It is a movement that demands only freedom, justice - and democracy.

2) This government is not quelling violent protests, it is brutally and violently crushing peaceful dissent.

3) This government is NOT legitimate. It is a tyrannical, barbaric - and human rights violating dictatorship. And ANYONE doing business with this regime have the blood of Bahrain's Freedom Martyrs on their hands.

For over a year now, we have as a global movement concentrated our efforts in Libya and Syria, leaving Anonymous Bahrain to to defend their fellow citizens in cyber space. This will no longer be the case. As of tomorrow, Friday - April 20, 2012 the entire global Anonymous will begin to take up the cause of the Bahrain Revolution. The King of Bahrain be warned, we are about to unleash the worst shitstorm you have ever seen - and your time as dictator is over. We will help your people remove you from power, and we will see you tried in the Hague for your many crimes against humanity.

The occasion of Anonymous re-launching Operation Bahrain will be this despicable Grand Prix Formula One race to be held in Bahrain tomorrow through the 22nd of April. Mr. Eccelstone, you are either one evil mother --- to hold your race in support of this regime (The Kings family are actually investors and make direct profit) - or else you have been lied to and are ignorant of the atrocities committed by these tyrants. In either case, beginning tomorrow - and lasting for the duration of your race we are going to --- educate you on the truth in a way you can not ignore.

Beginning tomorrow, and lasting for the duration of this race - Anonymous will turn your web site (http://www.formula1.com) into a smoking crater in cyber space. We will also jam your phone lines, bomb your E-Mail inboxes - and wreck anything else of yours we can find on the internet. You can god damn well expect us. And to anyone in the world who watches this race, either in person or on television - you also have the blood of the Bahrain Freedom Martyrs on your hands. Turn your face away from this abominable entertainment, and join us online to defend the brave protesters fighting for their freedom in Bahrain. Finally, we join with Anonymous Bahrain in asking that all the drivers in this race protest this evil regime by refusing to cross the start line at the beginning of the race.

Internet Freedom Fighters around the globe, join us this weekend and fight for freedom and justice in Bahrain: irc.voxanon.net #OpBahrain

We Are Anonymous - We Are Everywhere - We Are Legion - We Never Forget - We Never Forgive - EXPECT US

SIGNED — Anonymous

[Mysticf1]

The ignorant morons of anonymous have defaced a F1 fan site for their so called OPBAHRAIN http://f1-racers.net/

Its quite obvious to me they have absolutely no idea about the issues at hand. A large majority of the group are pre pubescent unskilled geeks picking the low hanging fruit when they can't do anything significant to FIA/Formula1.com.

How would you feel if they took down F1tech as a protest against the running of the GP in Bahrain. Completely ridiculous!!

[SeijaKessen]

The ignorant morons of anonymous have defaced a F1 fan site for their so called OPBAHRAIN http://f1-racers.net/

Its quite obvious to me they have absolutely no idea about the issues at hand. A large majority of the group are pre pubescent unskilled geeks picking the low hanging fruit when they can't do anything significant to FIA/Formula1.com.

How would you feel if they took down F1tech as a protest against the running of the GP in Bahrain. Completely ridiculous!!

I'd argue Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt have already exhibited more ignorance than Anonymous.

[Richard]

I can't imagine what it must be like to live in a society where sectarianism and discrimination dictate your path in life. Nor can I imagine how intolerable life must have become to trigger civil disobedience that leads to the destruction of your own community. Most (all?) of us have never been in those conditions, so who are we to judge.

When I see these events unfolding, my thoughts are "there but for the grace of God go I". It is an accident of birth that lets me sit here at my laptop looking out over the peaceful Dales, and not a stone throwing youth in some intifada.

[akh270]

The ignorant morons of anonymous have defaced a F1 fan site for their so called OPBAHRAIN http://f1-racers.net/

Its quite obvious to me they have absolutely no idea about the issues at hand. A large majority of the group are pre pubescent unskilled geeks picking the low hanging fruit when they can't do anything significant to FIA/Formula1.com.

How would you feel if they took down F1tech as a protest against the running of the GP in Bahrain. Completely ridiculous!!

I'd argue Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt have already exhibited more ignorance than Anonymous.

+1 =D> Just remember Bernie is the same person that stated that a bunch of heavily armed Brazilians were merely trying to sell Jenson a hat.

[Mysticf1]

The ignorant morons of anonymous have defaced a F1 fan site for their so called OPBAHRAIN http://f1-racers.net/

Its quite obvious to me they have absolutely no idea about the issues at hand. A large majority of the group are pre pubescent unskilled geeks picking the low hanging fruit when they can't do anything significant to FIA/Formula1.com.

How would you feel if they took down F1tech as a protest against the running of the GP in Bahrain. Completely ridiculous!!

I'd argue Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt have already exhibited more ignorance than Anonymous.

I would find it hard to argue against you on that point.

I was just dumb struck by the stupidity of this so called activist group. i won't go into it here as its not the place, but anon are not the cyber warriors they like to paint themselves to be.

[ecapox]

Anonymous is not a moral group that is out to eradicate immorality and to stand up for those that are oppressed. Anonymous is an opportunistic group looking to put their foot in the door whenever headlines can be made.

Dont let them fool you as if they care about Bahrainis. They are using the Bahraini struggle for freedom for the advertisement of Anonymous. Nothing more, nothing less. Just hopping on the bandwagon as it drives by.

[GrizzleBoy]

Attacking innocents who are only there to do their job are the actions of terrorists .

Be careful about such condemnation.

There's been disturbances like that on those streets for over a year. Are the pitched battles meant to spontaneously stop as a car comes along, then restart once the car has passed? How are they to know which cars contain people associated with F1 compared to normal traffic?

I'd put it another way, those F1 people are wilfully putting themselves in an area of ongoing civil disturbance. So that suddenly turns stone throwing protesters into terrorists?

The F1 teams are being targeted.

They are not simlpy in the wrong place at the wrong time, they are being actively targeted by people who wish to make a statement be being violent against anyone they feel, regardless of whether they are to blame for their original unrest in the first place.

It doesn't matter their situation, I have no sympathy for those who would attack innocents for their own personal gain/agenda.

Those acts are the acts of terrorism.

I dont care if thet dont know who is in what truck. That just proves my point.

It's no different than the reckless abandon suicide bombers have towards who they kill, as long as they get their point across.


I obviously dont think all the protesters are like this, but as I said, if this is the route they are going to take, trying to damage anyone they can because they cant get to who they actually want to damage and attacking innocent people, it is them who will need to be careful or their world image will stray to that of terrorists.

[WhiteBlue]

The Shiia youth that nightly clashes with security forces of the dictatorial and human rights disregarding bloody dictatorship of Al-Khalifa have every right to do so. Their villages usually are surrounded all the time on all entry roads by security forces' 4x4s. During the last week many activists have been arrested and tear gas attacks launched directly on their houses. The riot police shoots up to ten tear gas cannisters into private houses although the use of these weapons is not meant for indoor. People got killed in such attacks in the last months.

When the police meets activists with petrol bomb weapons they clash and it goes forward and backward into and out of the villages depending who has more forces at the point of contact at the moment. The road between Manama and Sakhir is the main highway that the riot police use to escape. So when the protestors and freedom fighters follow them they can carry the fight onto the highway. As Richard said the F1 people have navigated themselves into the mess. At least that is the way I see it.

On race day we will have a big demonstration at the circuit. This will be another opportunity for clashes. Hopefully Bernie and Salman Al-Khalifa will give in before the fighting arrives at the circuit and on the track.

[wesley123]

The ignorant morons of anonymous have defaced a F1 fan site for their so called OPBAHRAIN http://f1-racers.net/

Its quite obvious to me they have absolutely no idea about the issues at hand. A large majority of the group are pre pubescent unskilled geeks picking the low hanging fruit when they can't do anything significant to FIA/Formula1.com.

How would you feel if they took down F1tech as a protest against the running of the GP in Bahrain. Completely ridiculous!!

This