Street violence in Bahrain continued yesterday (April 4) with saboteurs going on the rampage in at least 20 villages across the country, burning tyres and pouring oil on key highways.

Thick black smoke filled the sky throughout the morning as anti-government protesters attempted to prevent people from going to work.

Police were forced to intervene with tear gas as masked youths blocked roads with burning tyres, water tanks, bricks, wooden frames and street garbage bins.

They also poured oil on roads, causing traffic disruption in 20 villages.

Among the areas worst affected were Hamad Town, Budaiya, Jidhafs, Demistan, Shahrakan, Manama, northern Sehla, Sanabis, Muqaba, Jid Ali, Qurah, Dair, Mahooz, Naim, Sitra, A'ali, Nuwaidrat, Burhama and Ma'ameer.

Protesters linked to an anonymous online group calling itself the Coalition of February 14 Youth Revolution, claimed responsibility for the disruption.

They held banners calling for the release of opposition figure Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, who was earlier convicted of being part of a 21-man plot to forcibly overthrow the monarchy and having links to a foreign terrorist organisation.

A Bahraini taxi driver said he was given a warning letter by management after he was unable to pick up a customer in Sanabis as a result of the disruption.

"My job is at risk due to the games these youths are playing on the roads almost everyday and this is not acceptable," said the 50-year-old.

"I got a warning from my management for not picking up the customer, who was waiting for me. I couldn't reach the destination because of the blockades. I tried all the routes and they were all blocked and I was stuck in traffic for several minutes."

Another Sitra resident was also left fuming as a result of the chaos.

"I was stuck in traffic for almost an hour due to the closure of all the roads," said the 40-year-old Indian. "I left home at around 7am to reach my office in Manama at 8am, but I reached at 9am. I had to leave the road I was driving on and take another road heading to the highway, but it was also completely blocked." – TradeArabia News Service