DETROIT — Dozens of protesters rallied downtown near the
Detroit Windsor Tunnel on Friday for the second straight week in support of
pro-democracy demonstrators in the Arab world with a focus on Bahrain.

The small island country on the Persian Gulf has seen its
ruling family as well as foreign troops from Saudi Arabia and other gulf areas
attack peaceful demonstrators and even hospitals.

Protester Ammar Zuad said that he felt it was necessary to
get the word out about the atrocities because of the lack of media coverage.

“We don’t agree with what’s going on, Saudi Arabia has
no right to be there pretty much killing innocent people,” he said.
“The protesters literally have roses and are saying ‘salaam (peace)’ and
they’re being shot at.”

Zuad was one of more than 200 people to demonstrate in front
of the White House and the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C. about two weeks
ago demanding support for embattled Bahrainis. While he understands that Libyan
dictator Muammar Gaddafi needed to be stopped as he threatened to wipe out
protesters in the rebel-held city of Benghazi, he wants government officials to
take a strong stance against the killings in Bahrain.

On Friday, many cars honked in support of the protesters
driving down E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit.

“We plan to come out here as much as possible because
the media is not talking about it, not even Al Jazeera,” he said, adding
that his uncle told him of protests occurring in his native Iraq as well.

Another protester, a Pakistani American named Muhammad,
brought a prepared statement to read to local media members.

“I’m here to show solidarity with the people of
Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, and other nations going through the same
circumstances,” he said. “In Bahrain, this is an uprising against
years and years of dictatorship and for the right of the nation to determine
its own political circumstances and control of its natural resources.”

He added that he has had a hard time finding news on the
Bahrain situation as well and said the U.S. needs to step up and show support
for democracy as it has pledged it would across the world.

“They should come out and make a statement, they have
the authority to stop the Saudi troops or to raise their voices and tell the
government of Bahrain to step down and form a government chosen by the
people,” he said.