Foreign bases and ruling family defy people’s will in Bahrain, says activist

Bahrain has seen protests for decades, driven by opposition to foreign military bases and a ruling system many say ignores the will of the people. Bahraini activist Maryam al-Khawaja says tensions stem from long-standing anger at the presence of US and UK bases, and decisions made by the Al Khalifa family that she says do not reflect the population. She points to the dissolution of parliament in the 1970s after it opposed renewing a US base lease as a key example, arguing decades of repression and lack of basic rights continue to drive protests today. Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at [email protected] Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye