Popular Protests Spreading Across Saudi Arabia

A large number of Saudi people demonstrated in the capital city of Riyadh to demand the release of political prisoners, indicating that popular protests have now spread from the Eastern parts of the country to other regions, including the capital.

The demonstrators called for the freedom of their relatives who are in different Saudi jails without a fair trial.

The protestors also chanted slogans against the policies of the Saudi regime.

Also in al-Oroubah street in Riyadh, a number of unemployed people demonstrated against the Saudi government’s policies and called for the creation of job opportunities.
The recent demonstrations in Riyadh were held after massive protests in the oil-rich Qatif region in Eastern Saudi Arabia in the last few months.

Since February 2011, Saudi protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Eastern Provinces, mainly in the Qatif region and the town of Awamiyah, calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

However, the demonstrations have turned into protests against the Al Saud regime, especially since November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others.

The Saudi interior ministry issued a statement on March 5, 2011, prohibiting “all forms of demonstrations, marches or protests, and calls for them, because that contradicts the principles of the Islamic Sharia, the values and traditions of Saudi society, and results in disturbing public order and harming public and private interests.”

In June, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered the country’s security forces to go on a state of high alert due to what he called a “turbulent situation” in the region.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi regime “routinely represses expression critical of the government”.