AHRAM ONLINE: Saudi Arabia's Day of Rage due today following a reportedly bloody crackdown on protestersOil kingpin Saudi Arabia braced Friday for protests calling for political and economic reforms a day after witnesses said police shot and wounded three Shia demonstrators.
Online activists using the Facebook and Twitter have called for a "Day of Rage" and a "Saudi March 11 revolution" demanding a fully elected parliament and ruler in this conservative Islamic monarchy.
Security was strongly beefed up in the capital Riyadh in the early hours of Friday, after the interior ministry issued a stern reminder any kind of protest was illegal and unrest would not be tolerated.
Tensions rose late Thursday when security forces shot and wounded three Shia protesters in the city of Al-Qateef in Eastern Province, according to witnesses.
A royal official said Friday police responded to shooting from a man in the crowd, who was wounded by return fire and remains in custody. He did not confirm if any other people were injured.
The demonstrators were calling for the release of nine Shia prisoners who have been in jail for 14 years without trial, a witness told AFP. >>> AFP | Friday, March 11, 2011
RADIO FREE EUROPE / RADIO LIBERTY: Saudi Arabia Braces For Friday Protests, Particularly In Shi'ite East: As opposition organizers in Saudi Arabia surreptitiously used the Internet to call fellow citizens out for a "Day of Rage" on March 11, there was no way of knowing how many would heed the call. >>> Charles Recknagel | Thursday, March 10, 2011
