JEDDAH: The Ministry of Interior has rebuffed reports that Saudi security forces fired rubber bullets, injuring at least six people including two children, to break up a pro-Palestinian rally in the Eastern Province on Monday.
“No such protest took place. There were no confrontations with protesters,” said Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior.
Al-Turki, however, added: “Street protests are banned in the Kingdom and that the security forces will intervene to enforce the ban.”
A foreign news agency reported on Monday that Saudi police fired rubber bullets to break up a pro-Palestinian protest, injuring up to eight people.
The reports added that between 200 and 300 people took part in the march in the eastern coastal town of Qatif.
The report said the protesters carried pictures of Palestinians wounded in Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 360 people since Saturday.
It continued that at least three witnesses said they saw riot police fire rubber bullets after demonstrators clashed with security forces.
According to the report one witness said two demonstrators were injured by rubber bullets. Two other witnesses said between six and eight people were injured.
“We chanted slogans against Israel and America. We did not attack the (Saudi) government or the Arab political system,” another unnamed witness told the news agency.
Asked whether the Kingdom had plans to lift the ban on public protests, the Interior Ministry spokesman said his ministry was an executive authority and decisions on such matters would be made by the country’s legislative authorities.
