Protester's death drives Bahrain F1 protest

THE discovery of a protester's body near the scene of clashes has threatened to push Bahrain deeper into unrest amid the F1 Grand Prix  last night.

THE discovery of a protester's body near the scene of clashes yesterday threatened to push Bahrain deeper into unrest as the 14-month-old Shia uprising overshadowed the return of the Formula One Grand Prix to the strategic Gulf kingdom last night.

Bahrain's Sunni rulers had pressed for the race to be held as a chance to rebuild their credibility on the world stage after the event was called off last year as the security police and troops cracked down on dissent.

At least 50 people have been killed in the violence since February last year in the longest-running battles of the Arab Spring. The Bahrain monarch, King Hamad, yesterday declared he was committed to reform after demonstrations broke out following the discovery that a protester, Salah Abbas Habib Musa, 36, had been killed on Saturday in clashes with the security forces.

"Down, down Hamad" and "We don't want Formula One", the protesters shouted.

The Hamad regime opened an investigation into the death in a bid to defuse tensions. The Interior Ministry said the case was "being treated as a homicide".

After the announcement, thousands marched on the main highway about 15km from the heavily guarded Bahrain International Circuit.

Race drivers have mostly kept quiet about the controversy. F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, asked about Mr Musa's death after taking pole position in Saturday's qualifiers, said: "I think it's always dreadful if someone dies."

The Western-backed Bahrain monarchy is the main supporter of the F1 race, and the crown prince owns rights to the event. The country's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, owns 50 per cent of leading team McLaren.

AP