DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - February 8, 2011 - A Facebook page urging "revolt" in Bahrain replicating similar calls elsewhere in the Arab world had by Tuesday amassed more than 6,000 "likes" on the social networking site.
"This is your chance to open the door for political and standard of living reforms, especially with the changes going on now in the Middle East. We will all chant, 'The people want to reform the regime' on February 14," a post said.
Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have played a major role in a wave of protests around the Arab world - fanned by poverty and unemployment - that have grown into revolts in Tunisia and Egypt.
The Bahraini activists listed 14 demands that include, "releasing all (political) detainees and compensating them, reforming the judiciary system, banning alcohol and prostitution, (and) halting torture and human rights abuses."
They also called for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, the Gulf kingdom's only premier since independence four decades ago, as well as amendments to the Constitution to allow genuine popular participation in government.
