BAGHDAD (Reuters) - More than 200 demonstrators broke into the courtyard of Bahrain’s Embassy in Baghdad and took down the kingdom’s flag on Thursday night to protest a U.S.-led meeting in Bahrain on Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Police used live rounds to disperse the crowd, local police sources told Reuters, with no injuries reported.

“We used our vehicle loudspeakers to encourage protesters to leave the compound,” a police officer stationed near the embassy said. “After they refused, police had to fire into the air.”

One protester, who identified himself as a member of the Islamic Resistance Groups, a term usually used by Iranian-backed Shiite militias, said the protest was meant as a strong statement.

“We took down the Bahraini flag to send a clear message to all those who participated in the Bahrain conference, that we strongly reject normalizing relations with the Zionist occupiers and will never abandon our support of Palestinians,” said the protester, who identified himself as Abu Murtadha al-Moussawi. “We are ready to fight for this.”

Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Iraq for consultations on Thursday after the protests.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain condemns the attack on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of Iraq by the demonstrators (which) led to sabotage in the embassy building,” a statement on the ministry’s website said.

The two-day conference in Manama was aimed at rallying support for a $50 billion investment plan in the Palestinian Territories as the first part of a broader White House political plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The plan has met broad disdain from Palestinians and others in the Arab world although regional U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia discreetly support it. Neither the Israeli nor Palestinian governments attended the meeting. </s> (Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )- A crowd has entered the Bahrain embassy in Baghdad in protest of the economical summit regarding Arab – Israeli peace talks. U.S & Israeli flags were burned. Palestinian flags were raised, June 27, 2019. Photo: Twitter/@thestevennabilBAGHDAD,— More than 200 demonstrators broke into the courtyard of Bahrain’s Embassy in Baghdad and took down the kingdom’s flag on Thursday night to protest a U.S.-led meeting in Bahrain on Israeli-Palestinian peace.Police used live rounds to disperse the crowd, police sources told Reuters, with no injuries reported.“We used our vehicle loudspeakers to encourage protesters to leave the compound,” a police officer stationed near the embassy said. “After they refused, police had to fire into the air.”One protester, who identified himself as a member of the Islamic Resistance Groups, a term usually used by Iranian-backed Shiite militias, said they wanted to send a strong statement.“We took down the Bahraini flag to send a clear message to all those who participated in the Bahrain conference, that we strongly reject normalizing relations with the Zionist occupiers and will never abandon our support of Palestinians,” said the protester, who identified himself as Abu Murtadha al-Moussawi. “We are ready to fight for this.”Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Iraq for consultations on Thursday after the protests.“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain condemns the attack on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of Iraq by the demonstrators (which) led to sabotage in the embassy building,” a statement on the ministry’s website said.The Iraqi government condemned the protesters, and expressed “its deep regret” over the security breach at the embassy.“The government of Iraq affirms its absolute rejection of any acts which threaten diplomatic missions, their safety and the security of their personnel,” said in a statement.The two-day conference in Manama was aimed at rallying support for a $50 billion investment plan in the Palestinian Territories as the first part of a broader White House political plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The plan has met broad disdain from Palestinians and others in the Arab world although regional U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia discreetly support it. Neither the Israeli nor Palestinian governments attended the meeting.Copyright © 2019, respective author or news agency, ReutersComments Comments </s> BAGHDAD (Reuters) - More than 200 demonstrators broke into the courtyard of Bahrain’s Embassy in Baghdad and took down the kingdom’s flag on Thursday night to protest a U.S.-led meeting in Bahrain on Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Police used live rounds to disperse the crowd, police sources told Reuters, with no injuries reported.

“We used our vehicle loudspeakers to encourage protesters to leave the compound,” a police officer stationed near the embassy said. “After they refused, police had to fire into the air.”

One protester, who identified himself as a member of the Islamic Resistance Groups, a term usually used by Iranian-backed Shiite militias, said they wanted to send a strong statement.

“We took down the Bahraini flag to send a clear message to all those who participated in the Bahrain conference, that we strongly reject normalizing relations with the Zionist occupiers and will never abandon our support of Palestinians,” said the protester, who identified himself as Abu Murtadha al-Moussawi. “We are ready to fight for this.”

Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Iraq for consultations on Thursday after the protests.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain condemns the attack on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of Iraq by the demonstrators (which) led to sabotage in the embassy building,” a statement on the ministry’s website said.

The kingdom also summoned the charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Iraq in Manama on Friday to protest the “sabotage” of the embassy’s building in Baghdad, a second statement from the Bahraini foreign ministry said.

“The foreign ministry welcomes the two statements from the Iraqi government... and insists on the importance of holding the perpetrators accountable,” the statement added.

Iraq condemned the protesters, and expressed “its deep regret” over the security breach at the embassy.

“The government of Iraq affirms its absolute rejection of any acts which threaten diplomatic missions, their safety and the security of their personnel,” said in a statement.

Related Coverage Bahrain recalls ambassador to Iraq over embassy attack: statement

The two-day conference in Manama was aimed at rallying support for a $50 billion investment plan in the Palestinian Territories as the first part of a broader White House political plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The plan has met broad disdain from Palestinians and others in the Arab world although regional U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia discreetly support it. Neither the Israeli nor Palestinian governments attended the meeting. </s> BAGHDAD, June 27 (Reuters) - More than 200 demonstrators broke into the courtyard of Bahrain's Embassy in Baghdad and took down the country's flag on Thursday night, to protest a U.S.-led meeting in Bahrain on Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Police used live rounds to disperse the crowd, local police sources told Reuters, with no injuries reported.

"We used our vehicle loudspeakers to encourage protesters to leave the compound," a police officer stationed near the embassy said. "After they refused, police had to fire into the air."

One protester, who identified himself as a member of the Islamic Resistance Groups, a term usually used by Iranian-backed Shiite militias, said the protest was a "clear message".

"We took down the Bahraini flag to send a clear message to all those who participated in the Bahrain conference, that we strongly reject normalising relations with the Zionist occupiers and will never abandon our support of Palestinians," said the man who identified himself as Abu Murtadha al-Moussawi. "We are ready to fight for this."

The two-day conference in Manama was aimed at rallying support for a $50 billion investment plan in the Palestinian Territories as the first part of a broader White House political plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But the plan has met broad disdain from Palestinians and others in the Arab world although regional U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia discreetly support it. Neither the Israeli nor Palestinian governments attended the meeting. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Raya Jalabi; Editing by Sandra Maler) </s> RIYADH — Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Iraq for consultations on Thursday after demonstrators broke into the courtyard of the kingdom’s embassy in Baghdad and took down the flag to protest a U.S.-led meeting in Bahrain on Israeli-Palestinian peace.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain condemns the attack on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of Iraq by the demonstrators (which) led to sabotage in the embassy building,” said a statement on the ministry’s website. </s> Bahrain has condemned the storming of its embassy in Baghdad and recalled its ambassador, accusing the Iraqi government of failing to provide proper protection for the diplomatic compound.

Not all Iraqis welcomed Bahrain’s foreign minister's call for peaceful co-existence with the state of Israel, which Khalid bin Ahmed al Khalifa made Wednesday as the Kingdom hosted a conference to peddle the US' Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Condemning Donald Trump’s so-called ‘deal of the century’, hundreds of protesters took to the streets, accusing Gulf nations of being “Arab Zionists who have sold their Arab identity for a failed deal.”

At around 10:00pm local time, the crowd reached the Bahrain embassy in Baghdad before people began to climb over walls. Soon after, the mob began to burn Israeli and American flags inside the compound's garden, as others waved Palestinian banners to show solidarity with their struggle against Israeli occupation.

While the diplomatic building itself was not stormed, the crowd did manage to place a Palestinian flag on top of it, AP reports. By midnight, Iraqi security forces had cleared out the scene after clashing with protesters. At least 54 people were arrested, Iraqi interior minister Yassin al-Yassiry told al-Sumaria.

Bahrain immediately condemned the violence and recalled its envoy for consultations, stressing that Baghdad has a responsibility to protect the embassy. “Bahrain condemns the attack on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of Iraq by the demonstrators (which) led to sabotage in the embassy building,” the ministry of foreign affairs said. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also denounced the violence.

In turn, Baghdad expressed “deep regret” over the incident. “The government of Iraq affirms its absolute rejection of any acts which threaten diplomatic missions, their safety and the security of their personnel,” it said in a statement.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! </s> Bahrain said on Thursday it had recalled its envoy to Iraq after protesters stormed its embassy in Baghdad and took down its flag to protest a US-sponsored conference in Manama on Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Some 200 protesters also burned Israeli flag while hoisting the flags of Iraq and Palestine in a demonstration outside Bahrain's embassy in the Iraqi capital, a police official said.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain condemns the attack on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of Iraq by the demonstrators (which) led to sabotage in the embassy building," said a statement on the ministry's website.

The government of Bahrain said it had "decided to recall its ambassador ... for consultations" and held Baghdad responsible for its embassy security, according to a statement from its official news agency.

Iraqi security forces broke up the rally and protesters could only enter the embassy courtyard.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner on Wednesday launched a long-awaited Middle East initiative with a two-day conference in Bahrain, where leaders touted his plan to jumpstart Palestinians' economy.

But the Palestinian Authority boycotted the conference, accusing the unabashedly pro-Israel Trump administration of trying to force its solution on them.

On Wednesday, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) reiterated its rejection of the $50bn plan - part of a so-called “deal of the century” - saying the proposal's lack of political vision guarantees its failure.

The statement said the US wanted to sell a "mirage of economic prosperity" which would only perpetuate the Palestinians' "captivity".

It accused the White House of using the workshop as cover for Israel's efforts to achieve normal relations with Arab states and increase its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Trump has taken a series of landmark steps to benefit Israel including recognising bitterly divided Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital in 2017, which led the Palestinian Authority to cut off formal contact. </s> MANAMA - Bahrain said on Thursday it had recalled its envoy to Iraq after protesters stormed its embassy in Baghdad and took down its flag to protest a US-sponsored “workshop” in Manama on Palestine.

Some 200 protesters also burned a Israeli flag while hoisting the flags of Iraq and Palestine in a demonstration outside Bahrain’s embassy in the Iraqi capital, a police official said.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain condemns the attack on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of Iraq by the demonstrators (which) led to sabotage in the embassy building,” said a statement on the ministry’s website. The government of Bahrain said it had “decided to recall its ambassador ... for consultations” and held Baghdad responsible for its embassy security, according to a statement from its official news agency.

Iraqi security forces broke up the rally and protesters could only enter the embassy courtyard. On Friday, the Iraqi ministry of foreign affairs issued a statement on its website condemning the protesters’ actions, saying it was committed to protecting foreign missions in Iraq.

It also said the Iraqi authorities had arrested several of the protesters, without specifying the number of those detained.

“We affirm our commitment to the inviolability of diplomatic missions, the need to ensure that their security is not threatened, and that the security of embassies are not violated,” said the statement.

“We have arrested a number of the instigators … and have taken measures to protect the Bahraini embassy against any intrusion… and to prevent any breach of security,” it added.

US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on Wednesday launched a long-awaited Middle East initiative with a two-day conference in Bahrain, where leaders touted his plan to jumpstart Palestinians’ economy.

But the Palestinian Authority boycotted the conference, accusing the unabashedly pro-Israel Trump administration of trying to force its solution on them. On Wednesday, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) reiterated its rejection of the $50bn plan - part of a so-called “deal of the century” - saying the proposal’s lack of political vision guarantees its failure.

The statement said the US wanted to sell a “mirage of economic prosperity” which would only perpetuate the Palestinians’ “captivity”.

It accused the White House of using the workshop as cover for Israel’s efforts to achieve normal relations with Arab states and increase its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Trump has taken a series of landmark steps to benefit Israel including recognising bitterly divided Jerusalem as the Jewish state’s capital in 2017, which led the Palestinian Authority to cut off formal contact. </s> BAGHDAD: Bahrain said it had recalled its envoy to Iraq after protesters upset by Manamas's hosting of an American Middle East peace conference torched its flag in Baghdad.



Some 200 protesters also burned Israeli flags while hoisting the flags of Iraq and Palestine in a demonstration outside Bahrain's embassy in the Iraqi capital, a police official said.

Iraqi security forces broke up the rally and protesters did not enter the embassy compound, the official said.

But the government of Bahrain said it had "decided to recall its ambassador... for consultations" and held Baghdad responsible for its embassy security, according to a statement from its official news agency.

It condemned the incident as an "attack" which it said had led to "damaging acts in the embassy building."

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner on Wednesday launched a long-awaited Middle East initiative with a two-day conference in Bahrain, where leaders touted his plan to jumpstart Palestinians' economy.

But the Palestinian Authority boycotted the conference, accusing the unabashedly pro-Israel Trump administration of trying to force its solution on them.

Trump has taken a series of landmark steps to benefit Israel including recognizing bitterly divided Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital in 2017, which led the Palestinian Authority to cut off formal contact.
More than 200 demonstrators break into the courtyard of Bahrain's embassy in Baghdad and take down the kingdom's flag to protest a U.S.-led meeting in Bahrain on the Israeli–Palestinian peace process.