Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Bahrain's schools and universities were closed today (Thursday, February 12, 2015), answering calls for protests prior to the anniversary of the February 14 revolution.

The vast majority of official schools were empty, especially of students, marking an annual tradition practiced for the fourth year in a row.

Most shops and businesses closed their doors across the island Kingdom, in response to calls for bringing the country's commercial life to a halt. Pictures taken of Jedhafs market showed completely empty streets, meanwhile souks in Sitra, Sanabes and other towns were entirely deserted.

Demonstrators took to the streets of the Gulf Kingdom this morning, staging rallies in Diah, Abu Sibea, Sar, Sitra, Maameer, Salmabad, and even the capital Manama. This, as protests continue unabated in the Bilad Al-Qadeem area (South of the capital) every afternoon since the arrest of Bahrain's opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman.

Other protestors shut down main highways across the country since the early hours of the morning, causing major traffic jams. Witnesses reported that most entrances to towns were blocked by rocks and other barriers. Traffic; however, was completely paralyzed on the road leading to Manama suburbs: Jedhafs, Sanabes and Diah after demonstrators barricaded the road from various points with burning tires and rocks.

Protests also managed to reach the area surrounding the Pearl Roundabout, the historic center of protests in 2011, as plumes of smoke were seen rising over an area nearby.

Clashes broke out between demonstrators and regime forces that besieged the villages since last night, as a helicopter flew intensively over the area .Government forces cracked down on protesters who staged rallies, this morning, across the Bahraini Kingdom. Some striking pictures were taken of police officers carrying guns with live bullets.

A number of protesters were arrested while others sustained injuries from shotgun pellets. This, as regime forces flooded residential areas with poisonous smog during clashes. Some members of security forces were captured on camera, deliberately firing tear gas canisters into houses.

Bahraini government forces cleared some entrances to villages of barricades, while isolating a number of areas with concrete barriers in order to tighten their grip and prevent demonstrators from escaping or easily reaching main highways.

Regime forces have been heavily deployed across the country, which has witnessed security presence at the entrances to the villages since last night. Armored vehicles were stationed on standby, as numerous checkpoints were set across the Gulf island.

A considerable increase in house raids and arrests was reported in the past couple of days. An activist stated that two brothers in Aali area were ambushed yesterday and arrested by regime forces. It was also reported that over 20 members of security forces took turns in torturing them.

For its part, Al-Wefaq Society said that the regime launched a massive campaign of arrests against protesters prior to the fourth anniversary of the revolution. It also stated that security forces carried out a series of house raids in more than nine Bahraini areas over the past couple of days.

During the past few days, the country has witnessed a number of events, marking the fourth anniversary of the revolution. Posters and banners calling for participation in the rallies organized on this occasion were plastered on the walls across towns and villages. Meanwhile, sprayed graffiti shouted anti-government slogans, stressing that the political movement against the regime will not be silenced.

This, as protestors from Hamala and Maameer designed artworks depicting the Pearl Roundabout, the infamous center of protests in the heart of the capital Manama, which is still a closed military zone since four years ago.

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