Saudi Arabia: No Protests Allowed

Following the unrest that has ousted regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, and is still boiling in Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan, Libya, and Oman, Saudi Arabia has issued a warning to potential protesters that a ban on demonstrations would be enforced. “The kingdom’s regulations totally ban all sorts of demonstrations, marches, sit-ins,” the interior ministry said, adding that any attempts would be dispersed by security forces. The message comes after unconfirmed reports that a small protest by the Shi’ite minority occurred at a mosque in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Friday, and other demonstrations have occurred by Shi’ites in the kingdom’s oil-rich east. A group of liberals, moderate Islamists, and Shi’ites have petitioned the U.S. ally, led by King Abdullah, to allow elections in the kingdom which has no elected parliament. However, it’s not certain how many of the 19 million Saudis actually back this political movement.