Local Editor

Protests have spread to a number of cities in Saudi Arabia following the suppression of a demonstration held by female students at a university last Wednesday.

The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) announced Tuesday that the anger of students has spread and "gone beyond the city of Abha to larger parts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where several protests have taken place in the cities of Riyadh, al-Namas, Ar'ar, Qatif, and al-Rabeeah."

Tensions have been high since security forces cracked down on a group of female students demanding reform at the King Khaled University last week.
During the past few days, students across the country have been holding sit-ins in several universities, demanding better treatment by teachers and the moral police.
Saudi authorities responded to the protests with violence, killing one female student and injuring 54 others.
"Subsequently, popular anger escalated over this action...and the protests movement spread at the university level in the Kingdom," ANHRI's statement read.

On Tuesday, the students also boycotted classes and called for university teachers and security guards to treat students well.
In Taibah University in the city of Medina, one student was expelled for publicly criticizing the deteriorating conditions on campus during an open meeting with the director.

"This emphasizes the cruelty of the majority of Saudi universities towards their students," the statement said.
In the eastern province of Qatif, one civilian was killed and several injured after security forces clashed with protesters demanding political reform.

The Ministry of Interior released a statement in which it vowed to address "acts of terrorism" and described the protesters as "a deluded minority."
ANHRI accused the Interior Ministry of trying to portray the protests as sectarian as many of the kingdom's Shias live in the oil-rich province.

"Only dialogue will work out with this social anger, not the repression and violence that characterize the attitude of the Saudi government with its citizens. The Saudi government has to learn the lesson that several Arab countries have taught to their rulers," the ANHRI statement said.

"The demands of justice and dignity in Saudi Arabia have to be met with change in policies, basing them on the values of freedom and human rights."

Riyadh is facing growing calls for justice and the release of political prisoners. Protesters began their uprising in March 2011. Since then, several people have been killed and many more injured or detained.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org