MANAMA, Bahrain, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Police responded with tear gas against crowds gathered Wednesday for the funeral of a Shiite demonstrator killed during clashes with police, witnesses said.
Bahrain is among the countries in the region to experience growing unrest recently. A protest suicide in December sparked the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, inspiring a domino effect in the region that eventually forced Hosni Mubarak to resign as president of Egypt after three decades in power.
Witnesses in Bahrain said another person was killed during protests Wednesday and police used tear gas to break up a crowd gathered for the funeral of a protester killed early this week, Emirati newspaper The National reports.
Bahraini officials expressed condolences to familiar members of the slain demonstrator and vowed to seek justice against anyone involved in unjustified use of force.
P.J. Crowley, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said in a statement that Washington was "very concerned" about the escalating violence in Bahrain.
While the United States welcomed Bahrain's statements that it would investigate the deaths, "we urge (the government to) follow through on these statements as quickly as possible," he said.
Shiites, who represent as much as 70 percent of Bahrain's 500,000 population, claim they are discriminated against in jobs, housing and education. The ruling class is Sunni Muslim.
