Bahrain Feature: Policeman Slaps Father Holding Infant --- The Video That Went Viral
Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 6:34 | Scott Lucas in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 0630 GMT: Bahrain. On Monday, we posted a video that was beginning to receive attention on social media --- in the 73-second clip, the key moment was a policeman's slapping of a man holding an infant.
There have been far bloodier and more violent incidents in Bahrain over the last 22 months, but something about this moment in A'ali --- perhaps the quick flash of anger from the officer and the humiliation of a father who posed no threat --- turned the video into one of the most prominent of the conflict. As of this morning, it has more than 333,000 views.
Global Voices Online summarises reactions. It tellingly notes that, while the policeman has now been detained during an investigation, Bahrain's Head of Public Security was looking to blame others for the incidents, "Attempts to defame the ministry of interior and its staff is a part of a fierce war by known and exposed persons and organizations after their previous plans have failed."
There is also a video postscript for both EA and GVO. A few hours after we posted the "slap" video, this footage emerged of more than a slapping --- police kick and beat a defenceless man in AlEker earlier this month:
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