Bahrain protesters must be reasonable

The deaths of two (read now three) protesters at the hands of security forces during a huge demonstration in Bahrain on (Monday) was a tragedy, but it was remarkable that the Minister of Interior went on national TV to apologise for the actions of his forces, and to promise to investigate the deaths and "take legal action against any unjustified use of force by Bahraini security forces".

It is important that both protesters and the government keep their debate within the system that has been set up by the king, and the nine-year-old parliament is where the country's political dialogue should carry on. Protesting on the streets is part of political life, but it should not be where the debate ends.

It is also important that all sides maintain a sense of working within an agreed system, and do not seek to exaggerate their differences. For example, it was deliberately inflammatory for demonstrators to hold up portraits of Imam Khomeini, hinting that they wanted some kind of Islamic revolution. 

But this kind of excess does not stop the fact that the protesters might very well have demands that should be looked into by the government, and that is not something that can be done on the streets of Manama. Parliament is where it has to happen.