Inspired by recent events in Tunisia and Egypt, thousands of protesters in Bahrain have taken to the streets rallying against the ruling Al Khalifa family, many of them gathering in Pearl Square, in the capital city of Manama. Here, unlike in Egypt, police and armed forces are severely cracking down on the protests, using both crowd control tactics and live ammunition. Also unlike in Egypt, much of the popular anger is tied to majority Shi'ite discontent with the ruling Sunni royal family. Complicating the broader picture is the fact that Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which deploys ships throughout the Middle East. Below are recent images from events in Bahrain.