Egypt and Bahrain Riots and Revolutions: My Arab Journey

I'm Nel Hedayat. I'm from London, but like most of us,

I watched on the news as revolution spread across the Arab world,

with young people at the heart of them.

-CROWD ROARS

-I've been amazed by how people have come together

to overthrow governments and change their world.

Now I'm going on a journey to meet them.

-GUNFIRE AND CAR HORNS BLARING

-I've never been around when they're celebrating through live gunfire!

Do you feel bad for the people you killed?

No, they had it coming.

They tortured your son?

'I'll find that revolutions are still going on...'

They're going to get shot!

The police are shooting.

It's all flowing this way, it feels like burning.

'..and I'll get caught up in the heart of events...'

Oh, my God. He's bleeding in his leg.

I'm shaking. I'm very nervous, sorry.

Yeah, yeah. We're getting used to it.

'..as I find myself alongside people still fighting for freedom.'

Just to be standing here in the middle of a revolution.

I mean, this is what it is.

The first stop on my Arab Spring journey is Egypt.

It's just over a year since a country I had thought of

as a holiday destination hit the world headlines

for a very different reason.

People across the country took to the streets

and began a massive uprising against a hated dictator.

I'm starting my journey at one of Egypt's best-known landmarks.

They're a lot smaller than I thought.

No, I'm joking, they're... massive, aren't they?

I'm here to meet a girl called Maggie,

who was really active during the revolution,

and I've chosen, sort of, an iconic spot.

This is what you think when you think of Egypt, isn't it?

You think pyramids, you think Sphinx.

And this is, like, a massive part of their history

but this revolution is a new chapter.

'While I was watching events at home in London,

'24-year-old Maggie Osama was one of the ordinary Egyptians

'who took to the streets.'

-I'm Maggie.

-Maggie, so nice to see you finally!

'She gave up her job in IT to join the thousands

'who went to Cairo's Tahrir Square, the centre of the protests.'

You got rid of Hosni Mubarak,

who was the leader of this country for years and years and years.

-Were you in the Square?

-Yeah. It was awesome, you know?

-This is the celebration...?

-Yeah.

People were actually screaming, crying...

Can't believe this, can't believe this moment.

It was, you know, like a miracle.

In January last year, Maggie,

alongside hundreds of thousands of Egyptians,

came out on the streets to protest against the 30-year regime

of President Hosni Mubarak.

During his time in power, there were no free and fair elections,

and police brutality, torture and corruption were common.

Young people like Maggie never knew any other way of life.

People were calling over Facebook and Twitter,

"Guys, on 25th of January we are going to do a revolution,"

so I said, "That's really shit." THEY LAUGH

Nobody prepared for a revolution, you know?

But when the first bullet had been shot

and by the first one who got killed, people just decided,

"We won't go home till Mubarak leave."

-ROWDY SHOUTING

-In the 18 days before Mubarak stepped down,

protesters like Maggie came under brutal attack by the police,

but they refused to leave Tahrir Square.

'Across Egypt, more than 800 people died.'

What did your parents have to say when you were saying,

"Oh, no. I'm just going to step out and have a bit of a protest, Mum."

-What was that conversation like?

-They were screaming, "No!

"Come back here! You won't go, you won't go."

I said, "No, I WILL go."

Oh, my God. It's going to spit in my eye, I can feel it.

He's looking at you. I'm so scared of them.

-CAMEL GROWLS

-OK, let's go, let's go, let's go!

You never know what they're going to do. Camels are scary!

Super, super exciting to hear Maggie talk about the revolution.

Wow, she's my age, she's 24 years old,

and she had to get up on the streets, risk her life every day.

It's really hard to get your head around that, really hard.

But the revolution isn't over.

A year later, the protesters are back in Tahrir Square.

Mubarak may have gone, but they say change isn't happening fast enough

and they've set up camp again.

I want to see Tahrir Square for myself, but as I head into town,

I find myself in the middle of a traffic jam

that is massive, even by Cairo standards.

SIRENS WAIL

There's something going on.

I want to find out what's happening,

but people are blocking the road ahead

so I decide to ditch the car and continue on foot.

The road's completely empty, they've shut it off up there,

I don't know if you can see that.

There's a few people walking around quite scared,

not really sure what's going on,

and I think it's all happening down there, near Tahrir Square.

PHONE BLEEPS

Bloody hell.

Maggie's just, basically, texted me...

34 people, Maggie says, have been poisoned

by a woman who's been giving away food with poison in it.

'The information I'm getting is sinister and confusing.'

People are nervous, people are a bit scared.

It's all over the place at the minute,

No-one's really sure what's happening.

-RAISED VOICES

-Oh, my God. Oh, shit!

'It's being claimed that these protesters have been poisoned

'by a woman giving out sandwiches on the street.'

-What's that?

-This is dangerous meat.

-This is the dangerous food?

-Yeah, that killed everybody here.

Oh, my God. Where did you find that?

-Got at the hospital.

-You got it from the hospital?!

-Yeah.

Jesus. All right, well, you want to bin that.

HE SHOUTS ANGRILY

About 113 people eat the food, and poison.

Now in hospital at the poison centre.

Why is someone poisoning you? Why?

I don't know. I think it's the government.

WOMAN CHANTS IN ARABIC

CROWD JOINS IN

Some of the protesters from Tahrir Square

have set up another camp here outside government buildings.

The whole street is lined with tents,

and people are on their phones and laptops.

SHE CONTINUES CHANTING

I look for someone to explain what's going on.

Are you a protester? Is that what you're doing here?

Who? Who's they?

Mubarak.

The military. And are you going to stay here

after you know people have been trying to kill you...

And still you're here.

Wow. Oh, my God.

RAISED VOICES

There are around 300 protesters camping here.

I'm hoping Maggie can tell me more about them.

-That's the Occupy Cabinet sit-in.

-Yes. They were really hostile towards the army.

The army promised the Egyptian people that there would be

a transitional period that they would rule the country in, you know?

And then Egypt will be a civilian state.

But, you know, it's over a year now

and they are STILL ruling the country.

So people just took the streets on 18th of November.

They are saying, "We don't want military rule any more."

The military government have actually given the people

what they wanted - elections,

but they've also said they'll remain outside the control

of the new government, elected by the people.

The protesters who returned to the square in November

accused the army of wanting to hang on to power.

When they refused to leave the streets,

the army came down on them, hard. In four days, 38 people were killed,

and yet, protesters like Ghadah are still out there.

You imagine a revolution, you imagine success, don't you?

That's kind of what it means, a revolution, a change,

a big difference. But the question remains - what happens after?

They're not happy with the way things are going.

There is a huge helping of uncertainty, confusion, suspicion.

It's like Pandora's Box has been opened.

That's why people reacted so strongly

over the food-poisoning incident,

although no one died, and it was never proven to be a deliberate act.

'Seeing people last night on their smart phones and laptops,

'you'd think that the protesters in the revolution

'were all middle-class Facebook users, but Maggie says that's not the case.'

The main trigger for this revolution

is, you know, we have lots of people here who suffer poverty.

'She's taking me to Manshiet Nasser,

'one of Cairo's poorest neighbourhoods.

'Most of the protesters who took part in the revolution

'came from areas like this.'

'One in every five Egyptians lives below the poverty line

'and the gap between rich and poor has been growing.'

People usually come here because bread is very cheap.

OK. Do you think we can speak to someone?

-Yeah, for sure.

-I hope so.

Can we speak to her? Can you ask her if it's OK?

-MAGGIE TRANSLATES

-This is the food for your entire family?

Yes.

-Is it OK if we come with you to your house? Is that all right?

-MAGGIE TRANSLATES

-Yes.

-Oh, thank you.

'Rakma is eight years old.

'Her home is hidden away down a narrow maze of alleys.'

GREETINGS IN ARABIC

'Her mother welcomes us in.'

How many people live in this house?

Like, about, four or five families live here.

How long have you been getting the bread,

it's from the government, isn't it?

Glass?

Bloody hell.

How much do you earn per month - you and your husband combined?

Oh, my God. It's three British pounds!

Is that enough to live on?

'Rising food prices across the world

'have hit poor Egyptians like Rakma's mum especially hard.

'Desperation drove them to join the revolution,

'but since then, daily life has become even more expensive.'

What about onions? Are they more expensive?

How much before and now?

'A kilo of meat costs two days of her husband's wages,

'and the whole family lives in three rooms.'

So seven people sleep in this room?

So, you're just forgotten?

It was heartbreaking to hear that, actually,

they live from hand to mouth, literally.

I mean, I was standing there listening to her, thinking,

"Bloody hell. So this is the reality."

Egypt shouldn't be a poor country,

there shouldn't be people living like that,

but the government just let it crumble.

So far, revolution hasn't delivered

what Rakma and her family were hoping.

The protesters in Tahrir Square are a smaller crowd these days.

It seems most Egyptians are happy to wait and see how elections work out.

But the people here say it's not enough.

They're calling for the military

to hand over power immediately to a civilian government,

and they're prepared to stay here till it happens.

I've never seen anything like it. Here is a little street kitchen

for all the protesters, if they're hungry or thirsty.

People there are having a little shop, getting their morning coffees.

There are still cleaners on the street cleaning the rubble,

putting it to one side, collecting rubbish.

'Anger against the military can be seen everywhere,

'and there's evidence of the recent clashes.'

So, they, kind of, like, break up bits of pavement like that.

And they hurl that, and I tell you, it might not look like it,

but this is a heavy bit of rock. If that hit someone's head...

'During the demonstrations, buildings around Tahrir Square

'become mini hospitals to treat the injured protesters,

'including Omar Makram mosque.'

'I'm meeting two volunteers here

'who helped out during the November protests.'

-Hi. Hello, I'm Nel

-Hi, I'm Farah, how are you?

Farah, nice to meet you.

-I'm Alaa.

-Alaa, nice to meet you. Wow. That's a lot of medicine.

-You guys are really well-stocked.

-Yeah.

I mean this is proper, like, everything, isn't it?

Yeah, it's probably, like, a small pharmacy.

-Are you a doctor?

-No.

-I'm a medical student.

-Oh, so you're a medical student.

Things related to the protests, I had to learn it all,

like, basically, working with the tear-gas bomb victims.

-What else?

-There were rubber bullets and live bullets.

-Live bullets? There were actual live bullets?

-Yeah.

CALL TO PRAYER

-Is it...

-Yes.

-..time to pray?

-Yes, it's Juma prayer time...

'Farah and Alaa are committed Muslims and, like many Egyptians,

'their dream is an Islamic state.

'They want to take me to pray in Tahrir Square.'

'Out on the street, the atmosphere suddenly seems different.'

Why are they waking...? Look, that guy's waking everyone up.

Usually, the hitting thing is, like, there's danger coming.

The first place to check out for information is Twitter.

-It's all gone a bit scary.

-They're saying that the, um...

The army soldiers are still throwing hundreds of rocks

-at protesters in the Cabinet.

-Rocks?!

The Cabinet Street is not here, it's like over there.

What's going on? It's so confusing.

-'We're starting to see people with injuries.'

-RAISED VOICES

-What are they shouting?

-They're telling the ambulance to come.

Shit! Oh, my God.

He's bleeding in his leg!

CROWD SHOUTS ANGRILY

-That's a live bullet? That's a bullet, he's been shot.

-That's a live bullet.

How do you react to a man bleeding from his thigh,

how do you react to that?!

VOICE CALLS FROM LOUDSPEAKER

-I'm shaking.

-Yeah, It's fine, it's fine.

-I'm very nervous, sorry.

Yeah, yeah, we're getting used to it, it's fine, it's fine.

I can't BELIEVE it. You think one year on,

-you'd think that they would...

-Yeah, I know. It's really bad.

-It just kills you, you know, to see it. Are you OK?

-Yeah, I'm fine.

'All around us, there's panic and confusion.'

I can hear that, that's definitely gunshots. That's a gas bomb?

The gas bomb, the sound is thicker.

I can hear that. There's definitely something in the air. OK.

SIRENS WAIL

'We're trying to find our way out of the chaos,

'but all the roads seem to be filled with protesters.'

That guy's just got, like, a piece of wood in front, what's he doing?

They're going to make petrol bombs, aren't they?

They're looking for petrol, I don't know why, it's really dangerous.

There's only one reason you'd look for petrol

when you're getting shot at.

THEY SHOUT

PHONE RINGS

Hi, Maggie.

Hi, where are you? We're actually in Tahrir Square right now.

You're in there?!

Oh, my God. Were they shooting at you?

That's crazy. OK, Maggie. Please be safe, OK?

Maggie was in it when the police started attacking them.

She heard bullets, and, if I can, I'll get to her,

but it's just... You don't know what's around the corner here.

I've got no idea if I can get to her safely.

IMAM CALLS TO CROWD IN ARABIC

'Up ahead of us, an eerie silence has descended on the crowd.'

It's hard to see grown men sitting on the streets,

facing the army, crying.

They're basically, like, praying, and they're going to pray right now.

Allah hu Akbar.

-CROWD:

-Allah hu Akbar.

Allah hu Akbar.

-CROWD:

-Allah hu Akbar.

Allah hu Akbar.

You cannot understand what it feels like

to be standing here, right now, in no man's land

in between the Egyptians and the army.

-VOICE BREAKS:

-I didn't expect it to get to me like this.

-SHE SIGHS

-Sorry. The...the...

Hmm. I mean, as a Muslim, to stand here and see that.

SHE SIGHS

I can't tell you, my heart... a minute ago I wasn't breathing,

I was shaking, and... Farah had to take me to the side,

and just be like, "Calm down, calm down." It's my first time,

I'm not used to this like her,

and now we come here to this part and it's just peace, serenity.

-Allah hu Akbar.

-CROWD:

-Allah hu Akbar.

-Allah hu Akbar.

-CROWD:

-Allah hu Akbar.

-Allah hu Akbar.

-CROWD:

-Allah hu Akbar.

WOMAN CHANTS

CROWD RESPONDS

WOMAN CHANTS

CROWD RESPONDS

CROWD JEERS ANGRILY

-They won't do anything now...?

-No, they can. They really can.

It's a 50/50 chance, we don't know what's going to happen.

'The protests look like they're descending into violence,

'so we decide it's time to retreat.'

-SIREN ECHOES

-'But it's just as bad ahead of us.'

'There are injured people everywhere I look.'

INJURED WOMAN WHIMPERS

-Where has she been?

-FARAH TRANSLATES

INJURED WOMAN MOANS

-She was electrocuted.

-They shocked her?!

What's happening? What was that? She looked...

I can't even tell you. No way, that's...

'Then I spot a familiar face.'

-What's going on, what happened?

-Arrested, arrested.

Why did they arrest you, what did they do?

'Ghadah's the protester I met during the food poisoning incident.

'I have to make sure she's OK.'

Oh...

I saw her a couple of days ago,

and she was saying she was willing to die,

that she was never going to move from here.

GHADAH MOANS

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

She's... She was so strong, you know.

I don't know why they would do that to a woman.

What would a woman do...? LOUD CHANTING

The ultras are coming. Ultras are the people who cheer for football.

-So they're the heavy-handed protesters?

-Yeah.

They're coming now and we don't know what's going to happen.

That just adds a whole new level of danger to the whole thing.

CROWD CHANTS AGGRESSIVELY

SCAF, SCAF!

'I'm trying to find a way out through the crowd

'but I find myself getting nearer the heart of the protest.'

I mean, this is it, this is the front line.

It's an insane, electric feeling,

just to be standing here in the middle of...

In the middle of a revolution. I mean, this is what it is.

You're caught in the moment, there's so many emotions that come to you.

You feel fear and anger and passion, and then excitement,

you just want to kick some butt.

'A couple of rocks are thrown.

'Within seconds, the situation changes.'

'The military surge forward.

'Everyone runs, but we're trapped up against the wall.'

'Other people are filming the brutality around us.'

They're beating journalists. They're beating them.

'Now I realise the danger we're in. We need to get out, now.'

'But the military have spotted our camera and they're after us.'

Give it to Anis, give it to Anis!

'They force us to hand it over.'

No, we need that! No!

He hit me in the back with a fucking stick.

'Our camera is now in the hands of the military,

'but it's still recording my voice as I try to run away.'

No, we need that! No!

'And other people are still filming.'

-Let's go.

-Just listen.

They're throwing rocks. Where are we going to go?

'Even without our camera, the danger is not over.'

-Cover your heads! Cover your heads!

-NEL SQUEALS

'We're trying to get to safety, but the army are not finished with us.'

There's no camera!

We need our camera. Thank you, thank you.

'To our amazement, our camera gets handed back to us...'

Check the cards, check your cards.

'..and it's still recording.'

SIREN WAILS

-MAN SPEAKS IN ARABIC

-I've just got into a taxi.

That's my translator who's frantically trying to find

everyone who was on the team with us, we've lost a few guys in the middle of that crowd.

It took two rocks to be chucked on the...

army, soldier, police for them to attack,

I mean, with brutal, brutal force,

I got hit in the back with this massive stick,

people around me were getting beaten,

a guy in front of me, a journalist with a camera,

got his camera taken off and he was beaten, beaten, beaten.

I feel like an idiot, cos two seconds ago I'm saying things like,

"Oh, this is so exciting, this is so fun!"

And it took a split second,

it took a split second for the whole thing to change...

..and to be actually scared, of my life.

'I may have got out safely, but the clashes are continuing.

'If anything it's getting worse.'

'Thankfully, Farah and Alaa have also made it to safety.'

I thought we could, but we can't see anything in Tahrir Square.

I thought we could see the road that we were just on.

We had riots last year in London, OK?

The police are not allowed to touch a single rioter.

Why are you laughing?

I'm laughing because I can't imagine that's true. I don't know!

It's really far from the reality here.

We thought that the corruption has stopped, that the...

But the same violence continues and nothing happened, really.

What shocked us is that the same violence, the same way,

the same protocols - they haven't learnt anything

from the revolution, so that's why the revolution has not finished yet.

'Looking through my own footage later,

'I find concrete evidence of how far the army are prepared to go

'to stop the protesters.'

That's a gun. That's a GUN. He's filmed himself carrying a gun.

Considering that they spent the whole time telling the world

"We never use guns, we never use live ammunition," you filmed yourself doing it, friend.

What's this? I heard it and I saw it and it's here.

How're you going to get out of this one, mate?

By morning, there are 10 people dead.

When I return to the mosque where I first met Farah and Alaa,

it's a very different place.

-RAISED VOICES

-Wow.

It is like an actual hospital in here.

'Injured people are still being brought in.'

Oh, my God. They're just kids.

'Outside, I learn about more abuses the army have committed.'

They're taking her clothes off. That's outrageous.

Why are they taking her clothes off?

That's... She's a doctor?

They ripped her clothes off and started kicking her in the stomach.

That's just... Oh, my God.

The clashes continue for five days.

By the end of it, at least 13 people are dead and 600 injured.

The Egyptian military later apologise for their brutal treatment of women,

but accuse the protesters of stirring up unrest.

It's given me a completely different opinion of what a protester is.

A protester isn't, you know,

this person with a placard and a little tent.

These are people who are willing to give their lives

for what they believe in. That is hard for anyone,

ANYONE who's not been in that situation to understand,

unless you're there, and I saw it with my own eyes.

In Egypt, things are far from perfect

and people are still dying, but you can't ignore what they've achieved.

They've got rid of a ruthless dictator

and elections are taking place.

Now I'm on my way to the Gulf State of Bahrain,

where I've heard the protests were just as bloody.

In fact, more people were killed there than Egypt,

relative to the size of population

But there was no revolution, and I want to find out why.

'Bahrain is a small island off the coast of Saudi Arabia,

'nearly the same size as the Isle of Man.'

Bahrain could not be more different to Cairo and Egypt.

The buildings are tall and they look really, really modern.

I can't even believe how different it is and how quiet.

Like most of the Gulf, Bahrain is a wealthy country,

rich from oil, and a haven for offshore banking.

On average, the people here are four times richer than Egyptians.

'It's also a tourist paradise.

'Like us, it has a royal family,

'but unlike us, their royal family run the country.'

'Looking around, it's not immediately clear why anyone would want to protest here,

'but I'm going to find out from Nada Dhaif.'

That's her car.

-Hi! Hi, is this Lady In Red?

-NEL LAUGHS

You have a lovely car.

Who are the dudes in these pictures?

The Crown Prince, the King and the Prime Minister.

But they're everywhere.

Their pictures are EVERYWHERE. Has it always been like this?

Yes, it's always been like this, but it's getting worse.

-Who controls the army?

-The Minister of Defence, which is their cousin.

So the cousin controls the army, the son oversees the army,

the uncle is the Prime Minister, and the dad is the King.

-You can ask about the media, as well.

-I'm going to guess... It's a cousin?

-NADA CHEERS

-Am I right?

Do you know the Prime Minister has been standing for 42 years?

Is he popular?

NEL LAUGHS Why do you think people protest?

-We're very close to the Pearl Roundabout.

-What happened there?

Back in February 14th, people gathered here by thousands and thousands.

-More than half a million.

-That's half the country.

That's half the country out

calling for reforms and calling for democracy.

Nada was there, too, helping out in the medical tent.

I want to know more, but we've arrived at her home.

She's married to a wealthy property developer

and lives on one of Bahrain's most sought-after islands.

Her two daughters are waiting for me.

-Nice to meet you. What's your name?

-Lulwa.

-Lulwa, hi. And what's your name?

-Alya.

-Alya, hi.

So, tell me, do you know what's been happening in Bahrain recently?

-What did Mummy do?

-If I say that, I will go to jail.

-Why will you go to jail?

-Why will you go to jail?

OK, first, my mum was a dentist,

she went on TV and she was helping people over there at the Roundabout.

People died... I mean, were killed.

My auntie came home and she said that my mama,

she is going to stay in Finland for a very long time.

Every time I talked to my mother on the phone, I was crying.

Oh, honey! So if you could change something about Bahrain,

what would you change?

I would change the government and I would change...

-..everything!

-But not me.

Please, not me. I love my life! I love it!

Do you want to sing her a Christmas song in French?

-BOTH:

-Nooo!

-Come on!

You know that time they were talking about?

Hey.

-It was the time when I was arrested.

-Why? What happened?

They crushed the people, the protest at the Roundabout,

they burned all the tents,

and they started targeting everybody who helped the protesters.

I was among the group of doctors

who helped in setting up the medical tent at the Roundabout.

In order to punish me for that, they came here in my house,

3:00am in the morning and they took me away

to unknown location and I was there for almost 50 days.

-Oh, my God!

-I wasn't the one talking to my kids.

That was a friend of mine...

calling them via Skype every day, pretending she was me.

Oh, my God! I had absolutely no idea.

-Why are you crying?

-Um, because something came into my eyes.

-What?

-A, um... One of my eyelashes came in.

What?

-They don't know?

-They thought I was in Finland,

that's what their father and their auntie told them.

I don't believe it.

Everybody who showed up and tried to help

and make change was punished badly.

We were over 200 medical professionals who were arrested.

What did they do to you when you were in there?

I don't know if you want to talk about it, but...

Can I have some tea first?

-Of course, you can have whatever you want.

-Would you like some tea?

I would love some tea. Please. That would be lovely. Oh, Jesus Christ.

'I've asked Nada to start from the beginning.'

So I'm going to show you now what the Pearl Roundabout looked like.

Wow, that is a lot of people.

-You were there from day one?

-Yeah.

Oh, the first day I went with my heels and my bag,

and I showed up, "Tic-tic-tic-tic,"

but I found it really difficult to walk on the grass,

so, OK, I decided, "OK, stuff that."

So you were like the protest Arab Barbie...

Yeah, they used to call me Barbie there.

I'm not surprised, Nada. I'm not surprised at all.

But really, I mean, it was amazing.

SHOUTING AND CHANTING

'You could see lots of kids

'sitting and colouring the balloons with the flag of Bahrain.'

A carnival for freedom.

The protesters were calling for the royal family to give up power

and allow free and fair elections,

and the Pearl Roundabout became a symbol of resistance.

After three days of peaceful protest,

the state ordered a brutal crackdown.

'See, this is the army, what they're doing to people,

'when they crush down.

'This is the army.'

-See how they're hitting the protestors...

-Oh, my God.

The protests continued for weeks, with an ever more brutal response.

GUNFIRE They fired on them.

This is actually in Bahrain.

THEY SHOUT DEFIANTLY

-See? See what they're doing to people?

-Mm!

This guy died, er, instantly.

Just shocking.

The government said it was acting in self defence

and had urged protesters to exercise self restraint.

But more than 200 medics were arrested and 20 jailed,

they say simply for helping to treat injured protesters.

Nada was one of them.

The first 22 days, I was kept in solitary confinement.

And severe torture took place.

I was electrocuted and they threatened me with rape.

I can't believe that they would do this to you.

And you know, just to get rid of the torture,

I said, "Fine, I will sign on whatever you want, just let me go."

I signed for it that I toppled the regime,

and I was sentenced for 15 years.

15 years in prison because you were there, helping people as a doctor?!

I'm appealing in front of the civilian court now.

-What do you expect to happen?

-Nothing. Another circus.

'I'm amazed at Nada's courage when she still faces 15 years in prison.'

You have everything. Masha'Allah, you know, you have children,

you have your husband, you have this...

what I can only describe as a mansion,

but still, you went out to the streets?

Because I'm not free.

I'm not free.

You are not allowed to be free to talk.

'Nada has been released until a new trial

'decides whether she goes back to jail.

'Looking good in court is important to show she's not defeated.'

These are your cupboards?

-Some of them, yes.

-These are SOME of your cupboards.

That's the limited edition collection!

-Oh, I got it from Paris.

-What did you get?

-Shall I show it to you?

-Yeah! Oh, this is sold out everywhere!

(I'm in heaven!) Please adopt me!

I thought you were supposed to be in jail. I thought you were supposed to be...

Yes, this is kind of my rehabilitation technique.

-Hello!

-If you go to prison, what's going to happen to you? You're a fashionable woman.

I have to tell you, I'll get Hermes to make me a uniform for me in prison.

Preferably orange. That's my favourite colour.

And I got this suit for the court.

-Where's that?

-Marc Jacobs.

Your bedroom is like heaven!

If I go to jail, make sure Hermes gets that done for me.

I'm on it, no matter what.

It's been good to laugh with Nada,

but that doesn't mask the horror of what she's been through,

with a prison sentence still hanging over her.

The protests in February last year were so big

that the Bahraini government asked for help from its closest neighbours.

I remember seeing pictures of troops pouring across the border.

That's the crossway that links Bahrain over there, behind the mist,

to Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf states that way.

And I suppose that's kind of what makes the stakes higher here.

You know, it's as though if one Gulf state falls to protests and revolution,

then the others might, as well,

and that's a massive fear for this region

It seems the intervention of the Gulf states did the trick.

I've seen no protests on the streets of Manama.

'But Nada's taking me outside the capital,

'where she says I'll see a different picture.'

I'm taking you to one of the villages.

These are poor Shia villages

and there's just a huge, severe discrimination going on.

-Against Shias?

-Yes, against Shia citizens in Bahrain, yes.

Our Shia citizens, they were denied from employment at the army,

-at the ministry of the interior.

-Seriously?

-Yes.

-So this is to do with religion?

-Mm-hm.

Like Nada, 70% of the people in Bahrain are Shia,

but the king and most of the wealthy classes are Sunni.

Both are Muslim but they're different sects.

The Shia claim they are discriminated against

in jobs, housing and all aspects of life.

And these Shia villages look much poorer

than the Bahrain I've seen so far.

What does the green say?

Um... The graffiti says, "Down with the king," here.

They're writing things against the government,

the police come and erase it, put things against the Shia,

and they go and erase it again and put something else.

It's like a ping pong. Just wait till it's evening.

It's after sunset where the rock'n'roll starts.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-What do they do here? Why are they...?

-People go out protesting...

-Here?

Yes, they are. Here, in the villages.

The demonstration's still going on but it's not in central Manama,

they have taken it back to their villages.

Walking around the village of Sitra, I discover that the protests

have been going on here ever since they were crushed in Manama -

with huge sacrifices.

But the deaths and injuries haven't deterred protesters like Mohammad,

who has invited me into his home. So what did the police do to you?

What happened to you, to your eye?

-He shot you in the eye on purpose?

-Yeah.

-Because you're Shia?

-Yeah.

Mohammed tells me Sitra is just one of many villages

where protests are happening every day.

And there are hundreds of people like him

prepared to risk their lives.

I can't imagine what it's like to be them, to live that every day.

HORNS HONK

I can hear the noises already and I think the protest is starting.

I want to see for myself what happens after nightfall,

so I'm sticking around.

Wow, what, are you in your riot outfit?

Did someone style you for the event?

'I've asked Nada to join me.'

-I have some presents for you. Are you ready?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-There you go. Tadaa!

-Tear gas! Oh, gosh!

I don't know how to open this.

'I've been told the police are quite free with their use of tear gas,

'so we're preparing for the worst.'

-I can't breathe.

-Argh!

Can't you get more stylish stuff than this?

I'm really sorry. This is all they had, I'm afraid.

There's a lot of police. What's that?

Two, four, six, eight, ten...12?

-About a dozen.

-Yeah.

-You know what? I'm quite nervous.

I'm nervous, too, but I have to see this, I have to know...

what it is that people, are being treated like, you know?

Are you ready for so much adrenaline?

'We've been told to park well away from the protest...'

-Are you OK?

-I'm good, yeah.

'..and make our way there on foot.'

-Hi.

-Welcome to Sitra.

-Thank you.

-PROTESTERS START SHOUTING

-You're going to go?

-Yes.

-You're going to go to the protest?

-Yes, of course.

-Do you come every night?

-Yes.

-Every night?

THE PROTESTERS CHANT IN ARABIC

My legs are shaking a little bit now, I think,

-cos I know that something's coming.

-Actually, I feel more alive!

-We're back to the Pearl Roundabout days.

-I know.

-I'm so excited!

'As we walk, the crowd of protesters gets bigger and bigger.'

Look, they're joining.

They are, look, they're all coming. Oh, my God, that's so weird.

-I think...

-They're all joining!

THE PROTESTERS CHANT IN ARABIC

The whole town is either in this march or watching this march.

The whole town is out.

THE CHANTS CONTINUE

'When we reach the main street,

'I see the police lined up, waiting to confront the protesters.'

They're so brave, they're just going in the line of fire -

they're going to get shot!

GUNFIRE

You have to move, you have to move, you have to move.

'It's no longer safe on the streets,

'and it's a scramble to find a place to hide.

'We're taken into one of the villagers' homes.'

I can hear them. They're there, they're shooting tear gas.

There's loads, there's loads! It's like a thick fog.

Put your mask on and put your goggles...

-NEL GASPS

-I saw that!

-Shh!

There's tear gas, right there. It's all flowing this way.

It feels like burning, as though you're getting singed in the nose and throat

-and I haven't even got a...

-SHE COUGHS

It's not properly coming this way.

The police are over there, in that corner,

and they're shooting it constantly this way, towards the protesters.

GUNFIRE

If this was England and they were shooting tear gas like that into crowds,

tomorrow's newspapers would be having a field day.

Is this going to be in tomorrow's... Is it going to be a massive deal?

They will not mention anything about this.

'The police are getting very close,

'and they almost spot us.

'They fire some tear gas our way.'

-COUGHING

-It's like... Argh! Get the lights on!

'All the talk of tear gas hasn't prepared me

'for how painful it really is.'

More fizzy drinks on your face.

No, that doesn't help.

It's OK, it's OK, but don't touch your face.

'It's not safe on the roof any more,

-'and I'm led, half-blind, to a room at the back of the house.

-SHE SPITS

-When does it stop?

-It takes some time.

-How long will it take?

'We're not the only ones hiding out.

'A 15-year-old protester is also here.

'She's too scared to reveal her identity.'

-How come you're not wearing a mask?

-It's fine.

-You're used to this?

-Yes.

And you go out every night like this?

How do you go out every night like this?

Because we want our tomorrow,

we want to build our tomorrow by ourself.

It's already built wrong.

Do your parents mind you coming out on the streets?

No, they never mind.

And what if you die on the streets?

They are going to be glad for that. Er...

My mother... My mother and father will have congratulation for that.

You're 15 years old, you're a child.

They are killing children, they attack women... They have no rules.

If it's for my country, yes, I'm ready to die.

The Bahraini government has called village protests like this one

"a threat to civil peace",

even though the only weapon I saw was the tear gas shot at us.

These protests happen nearly every day,

and I'm amazed I've heard so little about them.

Even more so when I discover that the most powerful navy in the world

is parked right on the doorstep.

Here, we have the American base right behind me,

so you can see the importance of Bahrain to the Americans.

If they're here. they can help the protesters...

Well, I'm sorry to say that all this crap about human rights

does not work with them. It's their interests first.

Bahrain has a very strategic location.

You have the big two jumbo neighbours that is Iran and Saudi Arabia,

so Americans are here, you know, just to balance things.

Plus, it provides the fuel all over the world.

Bahrain holds the pipelines for the oil and they must secure that.

I mean, they ARE a different country,

-and I understand that they're here, but is it their responsibility?

-We have the American Navy,

we have the most powerful people in the world,

those who can make difference, those who can make change,

and not to talk about this, not to interfere at this is a crime.

When I came to Bahrain, I thought protests had been crushed

and their uprising was over.

But I've found that revolution is very much alive here,

we just don't hear about it.

It's basically been silenced.

While the protesters in Bahrain are still fighting for freedom,

in Egypt, elections are taking place for a new government,

which most Egyptians hope will bring in the changes

they fought for in the revolution.

These are the first free elections for 50 years.

It's one of the major victories of the Arab Spring.

The protesters who are still in Tahrir Square are not convinced.

They don't believe the military will hand over power after the elections.

But most people are happy to wait

and see what democratic elections will offer.

I'm on my way to a polling station just outside Cairo.

This is an important moment for Egyptians,

and, so far, the turnout has been high.

Wow, that's a long queue.

'There are dozens of candidates running here,

'but most people seem to be voting for one party.'

Do you mind telling me who you are going to vote for,

or which party you support?

Do you think everybody here is going to vote similar to you?

-Everyone? Everyone?

-Sure, sure.

The Freedom and Justice Party was formed

and is led by the Muslim Brotherhood.

They were banned during the Mubarak era,

but went underground and remained popular.

'I want to talk to some women,

'but they're in a separate queue a few streets away.'

Can you just tell me what you're doing here?

A MAN SHOUTS

'Our conversation is cut short.'

This guy's having a heart attack cos we're filming with the women.

So, it's... It's just very loud.

He won't let me talk to anyone, any of the girls.

The Muslim Brotherhood help out in poor areas like this,

and it makes them popular across the country.

For decades, they've been a force in Egypt.

Since the revolution, none of the non-Islamic parties

have managed to establish themselves well enough to challenge them.

So protesters like Maggie have been left with no-one to vote for.

-Oh, hello!

-Hi.

This Muslim Brotherhood party seem to have success, is that true?

Yeah. Unfortunately because Muslim Brotherhood, they are a majority

and they are a really very organised party, they have money,

and they are speaking the religion language,

which is always the winning card in this country.

-They're just selling an idea?

-Yeah.

The Muslim Brotherhoods are just doing the same thing that the old regime used to do -

using poor people, illiterate ones, for their own purpose.

They are spreading food and spreading clothes to these people

-just to win chairs in the parliament.

-Really?

Yeah, and that's why I decided to boycott these elections.

I didn't vote.

'The poor people may vote for the Muslim Brotherhood

'because they help them, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing.'

Oh, man, it's so lovely!

'My friends from the protest, Farah and Alaa, are supporters.

'With the elections over,

'their party has won almost half the seats in Parliament.'

There's so many mosques here. There's like... Ahh.

'I want to know what kind of society Egypt will be under their rule.'

The Muslim Brotherhood are a very moderate Islamic Party,

so they can implement the true Sharia that I want..

What's the true Sharia? I mean, I've got no clue.

All I'm thinking in my head is chopping people's hands off

and banning alcohol, do you know what I mean? That's what you think.

Sharia is about, er, a social justice and equality

and giving people what they need, before you can think of punishment.

And I think that... that if someone has food and shelter,

and he's safe, why would he do something wrong?

I'm noticing, right, there's couples here, isn't there?

There's loads of little girlfriend-boyfriends walking around, holding hands.

If Sharia was implemented, where would they go? Would they be allowed to come here?

They'd be allowed to come here and they'd sit in the same place.

It's their own decision, it's their own choice.

They are free, they're not harming anyone.

Whether you agree with the Muslim Brotherhood or not,

the Egyptian people have exercised their right to democracy.

That's what they fought for and what Bahrainis are still fighting for.

I'm not free. You're not allowed to be free to talk.

But I've learned that revolution isn't straightforward.

The people I've met are still fighting to get what they want.

I will die here. I will die here. It's freedom.

Freedom, it's a hard thing to get,

but if you really want something, you have to fight for it.

And what I've seen is people's determination. People's will changes things.

If people stand together long enough, they can topple governments.

When a good regime will rule us, we will really reach justice,

we will reach everything we want.

Maggie, you're shaping the future of your country.

We are writing the future of our country, and it's really amazing.

I can stand now and say I'm Egyptian and proud.

It's an amazing feeling!

Next week, Libya and Syria.

I've never been around when they're celebrating with live gunfire!

We're being killed, we're being slaughtered.

EXPLOSION

Oh, my God, Entire walls have been knocked down

with the sheer force of bullets that have gone through them.

-Do you feel bad for the people you killed?

-No, they had it coming.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd