Bahrain GP protestor concerns

I just read that as well; evidently Bernie is very concerned....

 

Personally I think things will be fine with the GP and that Bahrain is a great country where the VAST majority fully support the King and The crown Prince.

 

+1

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110215/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_bahrain_protests

There are alot of dynamics in play here. A minority ruling a majority is never going to last. Bernie is right to be worried. A race is very easy to prevent.

 

I think you are right.
All these non-democratic Middle East countries (and let's face it, none of them are!) will be the scene of demontrations and unrest from some time to come.

It's alright for us to say they are OK, their people have a different point of view.

 

It really does not mater what WE say (or do or think).
Ultimately, it is what the (average) people over there are willing to put up with (or not).

 

From a blog

Protesters in Bahrain are now saying that they will target the Grand Prix to draw attention to their cause.

Given that the government has long used the race for the purpose of telling the world what a wonderful place Bahrain has become, it is not at all surprising that the protesters should try to do the same thing.

 

Or... interrupt.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iO1_ybL14g[/ame]

 

Oh how nice it would be to see that monarchy crash and burn , I hope the same thing happens in Abu dabi. These kings spend millions on F1 races for their own entertainment while the little people live on scraps of pita and hummus.

 

Wow - this could be real ugly.....interesting thread in the middle east section with a few local members in Eygpt....

 

I said somewhere else, that Vettel will get pole at the first GP this year...in Melbourne.

I was mixing GPs up, but maybe I'll be right after all...


Seriously, this ain't pretty, but if a cancelled GP because of a riot is what it takes to dump this insanely boring GP from the calendar, then I'm all for it.

 

Maybe Estoril or Kyaalmi can be made available

 

....soooo, the '$$$$ at all cost' approach is about to backfire in a big way....!! Nice one Bernie. Great plan, let's drop all the races in the traditional, stable countries and move to parts of the world where just about anything can happen...and probably will. This will be interesting to watch itself play out.

 

Isn't the final pre-season test also in Bahrain a few weeks before the race? Or was that last year?

 

Final test March 3rd-6th, Bahrain....

 

Hummmm...

I don't want to look like defending the rulers in the United Arab Emirates, but I have been to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and I haven't seen "the little people live on scraps of pita and hummus" as you say.

The standards of living seem quite high for ordinary people, maybe one of the reasons why there wasn't too much opposition so far. Of course nothing replaces having representation and a say in the decision taken by the government, but I cannot see poverty being the reason for unrest.

The case may be different for the many foreign workers who come from South East Asia mostly and are allowed in the country for a limited period (3 years maximum not renewable permits), but even then, many tell you they make much money there.

I think the rulers in the UAE, just like the Sultan of Brunei, may receive most of the income of the country, but are wise enough to lavish a lot of it on their people too. Many services are free for UAE citizen and directly funded by the government.

 

You haven't seen those people because the government has them hidden away.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7985361.stm

 

Cancel or new race somewhere else? I wonder what option Bernie Boy is working on if Bahrain gets axed via people power?

 

5% of the UAE population are actual citizens. The rest are residents who get very little support from the UAE. Protests are most likely not a problem there given the low number of actual citizens and the large national income they share in. Bahrain is not that wealthy and its natural resources are on the decline in a big way.

 

Bahrain will keep telling Bernie the race is fine until it's too late for Bernie to do anything but cancel.

 

Kyalami please!

Was there only 4 days ago

 

Agreed & unfortunately this has resulted in an ever widening wealth gap between the ruling minority Sunnis & majority ruled Shiites, thus the ongoing Shia protests. King Hamad did make some constitutional changes upon his ascension to the throne but this has done little to improve the majority of the Shia's living standards. Because of this & the lopsided population distribution (not to mention it's close proximity to Iran and its sympathy for the oppressed Shia majority), Bahrain is arguably the most vulnerable GCC state for an Egyptian style uprising.

 

Autosport has just such an article posted today. It states the organizers promise a safe event and will take measures to provide it. They obviously missed the reports out of Cairo about taking measures etc. Personally Bernie must be formulating plan B already. Just wonder where.