Yeah. They're the Bahrainian Popular People's Front. Splitters. One exodus coming right up. Hulkenberg stands up for vacillation and equivocation.
From what I'm able to make out both sides are as bad as each other, the protesters complain about the police using live rounds on them while they tear around town hurling petrol bombs at people. This whole situation is absurd, we haven't even got to Friday yet and already people have been put in danger, although I doubt the Force India situation was anywhere near as dramatic as has been reported. Should've gone to Istanbul where the biggest danger is stray dogs roaming onto the circuit.
Some driver opinions: And from Adam Cooper: SpeedTV reporter suspects plain clothes military presence: please log in to view this image I don't think he's joking.
What shows are these? It's a valid point about Brazil in terms of driver safety, there's loads of crime there, didn't a gang try to hijack Button's car in 2010 or something? Edit: Here's the story about the attempted robbery on JB: http://www.f1.co.uk/read-news/2010/336/button-survives-attempted-armed-robbery
It sounds like the drivers are worried, and that they have been told not to say anything that might upset the fascist pigs that run the place.
Couldn't have put it better myself. As the Guardian reports police firing tear gas and stun grenades at hundreds of anti-government demonstrators today and Human Rights Watch reports "a dramatic escalation in the use of birdshot and live ammunition by police against protesters over the past week, as well as a marked increase in related injuries", I found this article examining John Yates's role as consultant to the Bahraini police: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/mehdi-hasan/2012/04/why-john-yates-working-brutal-bahraini-regime
Its sound like JB was quite sharp and to the point when questioned - not his normal affable self! It must be difficult for the drivers because the slightest comment made and then taken out of context could blow up in the FIA's face! Horrible situation for everyone involved.
Has any driver said anything at all about the political situation and the human rights abuses going on in the country? I will guess that no, no driver has said a single word about the violence.
I find this bloke a complete idiot: Bahrain circuit chairman Zayed R Alzayani said: "They weren't targeted. They just happened to be there. I think it's unfortunate. It's an issue of timing. It could happen in any place in the world really, getting caught up in a riot or a fight or anything." It just so happens that at the moment, Bahrain is one of the most likely places for this sort of incident to happen. The whole situation is farcical and perhaps one of the ways to show this disgust is not to watch the race? The whole thing should've been cancelled months ago, or even last year. PS Rant over!
Here's a telephone interview with Guardian F1 reporter, Paul Weaver, from within a protest in Bahrain today: http://audioboo.fm/boos/761235-paul-weaver-describes-a-rowdy-demo-in-bahrain-amid-police-threats
Damn right! And yet, apparently, the real protests have not really begun; they start tomorrow after Friday prayers, the "Three Days of Rage".
And now the Bahraini authorities are denying entry to journalists from the Associated Press and Sky News without explanation, according to the Guardian. So, everything's normal then? Edit: @ramsaysky if you're interested.
