CAIRO: Egyptian security forces attacked a sit-in in front of the cabinet building on Saturday, running over 19-year-old Ahmad Sorour with a police vehicle. The young man was dead upon arrival to the hospital. Meanwhile, an amateur video from Saudi Arabia has spread online, showing a tank deliberately trying to hit protesters at a demonstration in the eastern Saudi Arabian city of Qatif on Wednesday. In the city of Qatif, demonstrators had gathered for a funeral of two people who were killed during rallies last week. A tank was directed into the crowd, but fortunately the attack did not kill anyone. While this kind of violence is said to be unprecedented in Saudi Arabia, similar incidents have recently also taken place in Bahrain and in Egypt yesterday. In Egypt, the Interior Ministry expressed regret for the death of young protester, claiming it to be an accident as “police didn't intend to storm the sit-in but were merely heading to the Interior Ministry headquarters, located behind the Cabinet building, when they came under attack by angry protesters throwing firebombs,” according to their statement. The ministry claimed security forces were injured as well when trying to get to the Interior Ministry. They said the driver panicked and ran over the protester. The incident in Egypt took place at the end of one week of protests against Egypt's interim military rulers. Protesters believe that their interim rulers have threatened their revolution by claiming permanent political powers. Over the past month, eastern parts of Saudi Arabia has witnessed several anti-government protests as well, with demonstrators demanding the implementation of human rights, realization of freedom of expression as well as the release of political prisoners. The ultraconservative regime of Saudi Arabia is known for its intolerance of dissent. Earlier this year, a statement was released by the Interior Ministry stating that “regulations in the kingdom forbid categorically all sorts of demonstrations, marches and sit-ins […] as they contradict Islamic Sharia law and the values and traditions of Saudi society.” According to the statement, police were “authorized by law to take all measures needed against those who try to break the law.” Referring to the rallies last week, the Interior Ministry of Saudi Arabia said that “these losses took place during an exchange of gunfire with unidentified criminals who infiltrated the population and opened fire from residential areas.” According to the Interior Ministry, nine people were also heavily injured last week, two of them being policemen. BM
