| Chairman of the Saudi Arabian al-Islah (reform) movement, which takes London as a headquarters, Saad al-Faqih, has announced that the movement will work for organizing demonstrations in the coming days in a way that leads to a greater demonstration in the royal court during the holy month of Ramadan. In a statement quoted by the London- based al-Quds al-Arabi, al-Faqih accused the Saudi security forces of embarking on violence and tear gas in Jeddah to suppress some 1,000 demonstrators who tried to gather in order to take part in marches called on by the opposition and arrested scores of them. He also considered that the most successful demonstrations which took place on Thursday was in Hael during which confrontations took place that lasted from afternoon prayers until sunset. On Thursday, the Saudi security forces foiled large scale objections called upon by the government and intensified its presence in major cities in the Kingdom especially on Riyadh, Jeddah, al-Dammam, al-Ihsa, Breida, Hael, al-Jouf and al-Baha. Witnesses said that the Saudi security forces arrested some 70 persons when it interfered to prevent a demonstration which was presumed to be held in the city of Jeddah at the invitation of an opposition Saudi opposition in exile. According to the witnesses among the arrested persons are five women. They did not raise banners nor chanted slogans. |