John Yates of Scotland Yard, seeking peace in Bahrain.
By Damien McElroy, Manama, 12th February 2012. Full Article Here:-
John Yates, the former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has moved to the Gulf kingdom to spearhead an overhaul of policing as its front line struggles to handle bitter clashes with a youthful protest movement.
Sir Paul Stephenson & John Yates
The attempt to clean up the service faces its first test tomorrow when the island marks the first anniversary of the Arab Spring protests by largely impoverished Bahrainis. Leaders have pledged to recreate the demonstration by hundreds of thousands that forced King Hamad to call on troops from Saudi Arabia to shore up his regime.
Thousands of members of the security forces have been deployed on the streets ahead of the expected protests.
The former Yates of the Yard, who resigned from the Met last year and was appointed an adviser to King Hamad on police reform in December, told The Daily Telegraph that techniques had been introduced to ensure peaceful handling of the demonstrations. “The police have a pretty well rehearsed plan to deal with what will happen on Feb 14, which will be a huge date,” he said. “The concept of reasonable reaction to provocation has been reinforced.
“Unless they face extraordinary provocation like last year, it will be about allowing people to gather and containment. It’s about learning techniques from other places like kettling – that would work really well around here.”
See Also:-
Bahrain Police disperse protests on uprising anniversary-Video Here:-
Bahraini police dispersed protesters who made several attempts on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of last year’s uprising by marching to the site of the protest that was brutally crushed, witnesses said.
Bahraini Police clamp down on revolt anniversary protests-Video Here:-
Police fire tear gas at two dozen protesters in Bahrain’s capital after demonstrations on the first anniversary of a forcibly suppressed pro-democracy uprising.
Armoured vehicles patrolled Bahrain’s capital on Tuesday in a security clampdown to deter protesters after overnight clashes.
Youths flung petrol bombs at police cars during skirmishes before dawn, prompting authorities to flood Shi’ite villages around Manama with police reinforcements backed by helicopters.
Police fired tear gas at two dozen protesters near the former Pearl Roundabout, focal point of last year’s protests, nearly hitting several people as canisters bounced off cars.
Groups that appeared later were also doused with tear gas and about 30 people in total were detained and taken away.
The re-emergence of armoured personnel carriers for the first time since martial law was lifted in June underlined the concerns of the Sunni Muslim-led monarchy about a new explosion of civil unrest by Bahrain’s disgruntled Shi’ite majority.
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Looks like Yates is doing a wonderful job….Remember Yates resigned from Met police over the phone-hacking scandal.
