After violence, Bahrain crown prince calls for restraint

Manama, Bahrain (CNN) -- Violence flared again in the center of Bahrain's capital Friday evening, as a confrontation between security forces and protesters resulted in several deaths and dozens of injuries. The government's actions prompted sympathy from the crown prince himself, who called for calm in a nationally televised address.
"I offer my condolences to the people of Bahrain for the painful days they are living," said Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in a release sent to the news media by the royal family's public relations firm. "Good morals have to prevail and everybody should exercise self-restraint at this moment. This applies to the military forces, the security forces and the citizens of Bahrain."
He promised that calm will return. "We just need to sit and talk," he said. "Enough lives have been lost."
He added, "Mistakes and escalation had been made, but we have fixed them. Today, we are at a crossroad. I do not ever accept that the sons of the same nation fight one another."
After Prince Salman's TV appearance, King Hamad announced that the crown prince is to lead a dialogue "with all parties and sections of Bahrain, without exception," the release said.
But a leading member of parliament from Bahrain's main Shiite opposition party, al-Wifaq, told CNN that there can be no dialogue with the government while the military controls the streets of Bahrain. Jamil Kathem said the protests had emerged spontaneously, especially after funeral processions. He noted that there would be further funeral processions on Saturday.
The violence was criticized by Washington and London. "I am deeply concerned by reports of violence," President Barack Obama said, mentioning Yemen and Libya as well as Bahrain. "The United States condemns the use of violence by governments against peaceful protesters in those countries and wherever else it may occur."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "alarmed" by the reports of soldiers firing on protesters.
"This is an extremely worrying development," he said. "The circumstances of what happened are not yet clear, but I call on the Bahrain authorities to avoid violence and the use of excessive force and to exercise restraint. The right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly must be respected."
At least four people were killed and others were wounded in the Bahrain clash, an ambulance worker told CNN.
Medical sources at a hospital said at least 50 people were treated for injuries after clashes in Manama on Friday, and five of them were in critical condition, including one with a bullet wound to the head.