2011 Bahraini Revolution
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| Date | 14 February - 2 September 2011 | ||
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The 2011 Bahraini Revolution (Arabic: الثورة البحرينية) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the House of Khalifa, Bahrain's ruling royal family, and the establishment of a republic in its place. Beginning in February 2011, a series of protests inspired by the Arab Spring initially sought for greater political freedom and equal rights for the country's Shia Muslim majority before a deadly raid on protesters by government forces saw critics then call for the abdication of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the overall end of the Bahraini monarchy in favour of a republic.
While initially beginning as a series of non-violent protests, an armed intervention on the behalf of the Bahraini government by the Gulf Cooperation Council resulted in the demonstrations and protests taking a more physical and violent turn as protesters, incensed by the direct intervention of foreign forces, persisted and clashed with both government and GCC forces despite increasing crackdowns by state authorities. Eventually, on 2 September 2011, mounting international pressure, coupled with rising casualties and gradual defections from members of Bahrain's security forces, saw King Hamad officially announce his abdication from the throne with his son and heir Crown Prince Salman announced as the kingdom's new monarch. However, the royal succession was largely ignored by protesters who subsequently declared the establishment of the "Republic of Bahrain" and named Ali Salman, a Twelver Shia cleric and secretary-general of the Al Wefaq political party, as the country's first president.
Considered to be one of the major hallmarks of the Arab Spring, the event marked the first overthrow of a Middle Eastern monarchy in decades since the Iranian Revolution which overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty. Almost immediately, the event was met with mixed reception throughout the Middle East and the wider world with the Gulf Cooperation Council, primarily led by Saudi Arabia, unanimously condemning the events and refusing to recognise the new Bahraini republican government whereas Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and later the United States, expressed their support and recognition of the new regime, a move also done by the United Kingdom which previously supported the Al Khalifa monarchy. Meanwhile, during the ensuing diplomatic standoff between Bahrain and its Arab neighbours, a United Nations-sponsored tribunal went on to prosecute King Hamad and various other government and military officials for their roles in persecuting and suppressing protestors, often with much brutality and violence. Later on, after months of tense relations, an American-led initiative eventually saw Bahrain mend relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council who ultimately agreed to recognise the new republican government and cease any form of diplomatic and economic boycott against the country. Since then, the date of the monarchy's abolition and the ensuing establishment of the republic has come to be celebrated by the population as "Republic Day", replacing the previous celebration of Independence Day on August 15th.