Teddy bears vs. the state.

• Author: Walker, Jesse
• Position: Artifact - Brief article

The Arab Spring came to Bahrain on February 14,2011, with a wave of peaceful protests that prompted the petro-state to declare martial law. The crackdown stopped the demonstrators from bringing down the monarchy, but the movement for a freer Bahrain wasn't squelched entirely. Each year since 2011, dissidents have marked the anniversary with more civil disobedience.

This year they decided to combine their annual rebellion with the other special occasion that falls on February 14. And so on Valentine's Day 2015, the teddy bear became the mascot of the revolution.

Global Voices Online, a website that combines original reporting with translations from the international press, has posted photos of the results. In one picture, gas wafts past a protester...