Mideast nations caution citizens on US travel amid race protests

UAE, Bahrain issue alert for cities where police shootings have sparked strife; Bahamas, too, urges ‘extreme caution’

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Two Mideast countries are warning citizens traveling in the United States to be careful around protests over police shootings.

A “special alert” issued by the United Arab Emirates Embassy to Washington on Saturday urged citizens to stay away from demonstrations in US cities. State news agency WAM said the warning followed a protest by supporters of the “Black Lives Matter” movement in Washington on Friday.

The island kingdom of Bahrain issued its own advisory on Twitter, telling nationals to be “cautious of protests or crowded areas.”

The US State Department routinely issues travel advisories for Americans abroad. On Friday, the Bahamas put out its own advisory about US travel, saying young men especially should “exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police.”