AL-RASS, 7 April 2005 — “This is not a football match; go away; move on,” cried a police officer as he attempted to drive a crowd of curious onlookers away. They had gathered at the site where security forces launched their raid on the house where the terrorists were hiding in the town.
Despite police requests, curious people in Al-Rass came to see and were determined to watch the collapse of the terrorists. There is a tendency here in the Kingdom for members of the public to gather at any site in order to watch, observe and comment on police or security operations.
“The problem is one that has become very difficult to deal with, especially during a crisis such as we are witnessing here,” said a police officer who was dealing with the huge crowds at the scene in Al-Rass on Tuesday.
One of the terrorists fired indiscriminately at the crowd but fortunately, no one was hurt. A police officer said: “The people were terrified and fled the scene quickly but soon came back to see who was hurt and who was not.”
This curious behavior is not confined to Saudis but also manifests itself among many expatriates. Curious Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, Egyptians and Sudanese were much in evidence in Al-Rass.
“I am just looking, like everyone else,” said a Pakistani expat.
When asked about the long time he had spent watching the operation, Muhammad, a Saudi teenager, explained: “It is very rare in this city to see helicopters hovering above and hear the sirens of emergency vehicles and police cars. You are forced to go out and see what is happening.”
More than one police officer complained of the frequent demands by the public to be allowed into restricted areas or onto blocked streets and roads. None was able to present any convincing reason for their demands.
“We have important jobs to do and we are wasting our time explaining to these curious people why a road is blocked or an area is closed to the public,” he said.
Even stranger than the crowds were the ice-cream and drink salesmen enjoying good sales. “We were there all day long with the crowd,” said one salesman who followed the events closely but also made a handsome profit.
The problem of curiosity seekers in times of crisis is one that is common all over the Kingdom. Traffic accidents being very common, they are sites at which crowds gather in a flash.
“I cannot imagine a traffic accident without all the curious onlookers,” said Abdullah. “They come from nowhere to watch and see and they often get in the way of the police or the Red Crescent who are trying to help.”
A similar phenomenon has also been witnessed after sporting events, particularly football matches. One Saudi student attributed the behavior to the amount of free time most young Saudis have.
