Bahrain’s King Hamad banned protests in Manama in an amendment to a law on public gatherings. The move came ahead of a major opposition demonstration called for mid-August. The decree modifies the law to \"ban organizing protests, rallies, gatherings or sit-ins in Manama.\" The monarch also toughened penalties against the guardians of minors caught taking part in protests, BNA news agency said late on Tuesday. The kingdom has been rocked by protests since 2011.