As the opening ceremony took place at the National Museum, protestors gathered in central Manama for a weekly rally known as the Manama March, which was broken up by riot police using tear gas (the heavy use of which in Bahrain has been condemned by human rights organisations).
Далеко не все зрители остались довольны церемонией открытия, считая, что она не отражает культуры Бахрейна в достаточной мере.