Manama: A large crowd of thousands of mourners attended the funeral of the victims of Thursday’s security crackdown in Manama.
The mourners waved banners and shouted slogans against the government. Some said they were ready to die for change, a potential new flashpoint.
Four people had been killed and hundreds injured when security forces cleared hundreds of demonstrators from Pearl Square.
A pro-government demonstration is also expected to be held just hours after Bahrain banned public gatherings.
Tanks have been stationed at strategic points around the streets of Manama.
Soldiers would take every measure necessary to preserve security, the interior ministry said.
Western countries have urged Bahrain to show restraint in dealing with protesters and called for meaningful reform in the small Gulf state kingdom.
The funerals of two men, one in his 50s and the other in his 20s, are being held in the village of Sitra.
The two coffins were draped in red-and-white Bahraini flags and placed on top of all-terrain vehicles, which then drove slowly through the streets.
“Trial, trial for the criminal gang,” the crowd shouted, and: “Justice, freedom and constitutional monarchy.”
Some are now calling for the removal of the royal family.
“We used to demand for the prime minister to step down, but now our demand is for the ruling family to get out,” Ahmed Makki Abu Taki, the brother of one of the victims, told Reuters news agency.
Men attending the ceremonies said they were willing to sacrifice their lives for change.
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