Posted on 03/08/2011 11:38:59 AM PST by EBH
"The Saudi Arabian authorities have a duty to ensure freedom of assembly and are obliged under international law to allow peaceful protests to take place," said Philip Luther, deputy director of the human rights group's Middle East and North Africa program.''
"They must act immediately to end this outrageous restriction on the right to legitimate protest."
There was no immediate reaction from the Saudi government to the Amnesty statement.
Rights activists have been urging the right to protest for months in the kingdom, which prohibits all kinds of public demonstrations, and they have been denied permission to assemble.
Lately, grass-roots ferment mirroring the unrest across the Middle East and North Africa has emerged, with a Facebook group calling for days of rage and Shiites taking to the streets. Activists have been calling for reform and the release of people jailed without charge or trial.
The protests in the majority Sunni kingdom occurred Thursday and Friday, and they've accompanied the calls across the Arab world for more freedom and democracy
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
U.S. says Saudis have right to peaceful protests
Tue, March 8 2011 12:00 | 264 Views
Washington (ANTARA News/Reuters) - Saudis have a right to protest peacefully, the United States said on Monday after Saudi Arabia reminded its citizens that demonstrations were banned in the kingdom, the world`s largest oil exporter.
Inspired by protests in other Arab countries, there have been Shi`ite marches in the past few days in the east of Saudi Arabia as well as Facebook calls for two more protests this month, the first on Friday.
“The United States supports a set of universal rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and to freedom of expression,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters at his daily briefing.
“Those rights must be respected everywhere, including Saudi Arabia,” he added.
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/68915/us-says-saudis-have-right-to-peaceful-protests
Yeah, sure. Not that I’m fond of the House of Saud. But once you let these “protestors” start, where does it stop?
Get real, Phil.
Look at our bill of rights, where our freedom of assembly is defined. KSA falls away from the rights we expect in many ways.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I'll look for their freedom to assemble right after I find their freedom of religion. Most people fail to understand how drastically different this part of the world is from the US.
It just won’t mean anything until 0bamaomao orders them to allow protests.
This guy needs to SHUT THE EFF UP or he can PERSONALLY pay the difference in my gas bill.
What the hell do they want the trouble makers free to do damage?? Push that filthy Shiite rubbish into the Sea.
That must be the pimple faced kid with the twitter accounts, not elected by anyone and represents everyone in his own mind.
Why would these regimes allow “peaceful protests” after they’ve watched protests topple the Egyptian government?
“Rights activists,” have been pushing this...
Really, just exactly who are these ‘activists?’ The article doesn’t say.
“Really, just exactly who are these ‘activists?’ The article doesn’t say.”
When I think of activists, I think of useful idiots, funded by those who wish to control events, like Soros, international bankers, and intelligence services (working for the bankers). :)
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