The protesters against the government blocked the parliament in Bahrain on Monday and gathered in front of state television, trying to increase the strain on the monarchy, following more than two weeks of protests and violence.
Parliament has become a target of the protesters as a meeting was requested by 40 members of the upper house of parliament. The session has been postponed for several hours as protesters made a chain of people around the building entry.
Uprising in Bahrain was the first in the Gulf of reform in the Arab world. Shiites, who represent about 70% of the population of 525,000 inhabitants, have complained for a long time of inequities and unfairness from the Sunni leaders.
Leaders of Bahrain tried to participate in negotiations with the groups from opposition in an effort to relive the tensions. On the other hand, they are under pressure from allies in the Gulf region to avoid offering compromising on political issues. Many Sunnis in the region are concerned that too many concessions to Shiites in Bahrain would lead to strengthening the influence of Shiites in Iran.