Fired workers protest in Bahrain

State workers, sacked for taking part in anti-government demonstrations in Bahrain, protested in front of the country's labor ministry on Sunday. More than 2,500 workers were fired for taking part in the demonstrations earlier in December. Bahrain witnessed a wave of protests this year aimed at securing greater political freedom for its people from the ruling monarchy. On March 14, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on the peaceful protesters. According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds arrested in the crackdown. Activists have long criticized the US and its western allies for turning a blind eye to the massacre being carried out in Bahrain. The US Fifth Fleet is stationed in the Persian Gulf state, and political analysts say that Washington will do everything in its power to maintain the strategic naval base.