#9March : Personal Reflection & 150+ Photos

Posted by Ahlam in Noise | 1 comment

Mar 10, 12

After the highest official in Bahrain gave a statement saying:”Those anti-government protestors are just few imbeciles”, similar to what Gaddafi said about protestors in Libya, Bahraini Pro-Democracy protestors wanted to send a strong message and a massive rally was announced for the 9th March 2012!

Bahrain was on that day on a “State-of-Protest” ! Proudly three generations in my family participated on the 9 March Bahrain’s Pro-Democracy Rally , my grandmother, my mother and I!

To be frank and for the first time since 14Feb, I was not as enthusiastic as many people were and I was at first a bit conservative toward the rally since few people tried to twist its objective by saying that attending the 9th March Rally had some kind of a “Religious Obligation”, I follow the “National Obligation” and has been since 14Feb! ( I should have known better not to jump into conclusion)!!

On 9th March, my grandmother called me at 9:15 AM, she wanted someone to take her to Barbar ( a village nearest to where the rally begins). Bare in mind that the rally starts at  3:30 PM but because the Government of Bahrain usually sends in police to block the roads and stop people from entering areas where massive rallies or funerals are happening, people usually go early and families at nearby areas welcome protesters into their homes.

“Graffiti I saw in Barbar village saying “Free People from Barbar are Welcoming you”

A generous family in Barbar village (like many families) took the risk and welcomed my family and 20 other women since morning. We all waited for the small village rally which was heading to the Major Rally in the main highway!All the small rallies integrated to what one described as the “Largest Democracy Rally in the History of Bahrain” !! and sure it felt so !

Once we reached the highway, my mind could not comprehend the huge population gathered! and because we are walking, it is impossible to estimate the number of people! I had to see the photos  after the Rally to understand how huge it was!

During the Rally, there are incidents and moments that took my breath away, brought happy and sad tears and made  me the proudest person in the world of my people, below are some of these moments:

1. The huge number of Strollers and Wheelchairs:

Almost every household was there marching! The rally seemed like a family and friends re-union! People I didn’t see in a long time, I saw them there! And because parents were keen to attend, they brought along their children, many of them decorated their children’s their strollers with a “Bahraini-themed”!

Old men and women, injured and people with disability did not want to miss a day which might be marked in the History and so, many wheel-chairs marched along too!

2. Men walking side by side with Women:

A picture speaks (100s of hundreds) words – I leave you with 150+ photos I have collected from a number of websites [Double-Click to enlarge the gallery]

We Remain,

@AhlamOun

P.S to the Government of Bahrain : The slogans in the photos, I MAY or may not endorse!