62 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
62 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
The **Saudi Arabian Uprising** were a series of protests in [Saudi
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Arabia](Saudi_Arabia "wikilink") over women's rights, economic
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inequality, police brutality, corruption, religious discrimination and
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high unemployment in [2011 and
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2012](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_Western_Asia "wikilink"). It
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was part of the [Arab Spring](Arab_Spring "wikilink") and a [wider
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global wave of revolts from 2010 to
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2014](Revolutions_of_2010_-_2014 "wikilink").
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## Events
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An unidentified 65-year old man set himself on fire in the town of
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Samtah on the 21st of January. 8 days later, hundreds of protesters
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gathered in the city of Jeddah in a rare display of criticism against
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the city's poor infrastructure after deadly floods swept through the
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city, killing eleven people. Police stopped the demonstration about 15
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minutes after it started. About 30 to 50 people were arrested and a
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social media campaign began calling for a fairer distribution of wealth,
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jobs and an end to corruption. Small marches and online activism
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continued until the 9th of March where in Qatif about 600 to 800
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protesters were present at a similar protest on the evening of the 10th
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of March, calling for nine prisoners to be released. About 200 police
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were present. The police used "percussion bombs" and shot at protesters
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with gunfire for about 10 minutes. Three protesters were injured and
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hospitalised with "moderate" injuries.
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This triggered a "Day of Rage" in solidarity with the uprisings in
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[Libya](Libyan_Revolution_\(2011\) "wikilink") and
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[Bahrain](Bahraini_Uprising_\(2011\) "wikilink") where protesters
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demanded women's rights, prison reform, democratisation, removal of
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soldiers from Bahrain, workers rights and civil liberties. Over the next
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few months a cycle of protests with a few hundred people, online
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activism and police repression continued (including the killing of
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children and use of snipers). [Women began illegally driving
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cars](Women_to_Drive_Movement "wikilink") and were frequently arrested.
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University strikes began and sit-ins occurred in government buildings.
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Migrant workers went on hunger strike and massive open criticism of the
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government occurred in a weekly cycle that died down in 2013.
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## Results
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The uprising was followed by limited democratisation in the form of
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municipal elections and women's suffrage for municipal elections. Soon
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massive improvements in women's rights were made, notably:
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- Allowing women to serve in government
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- Allowing women to marry foreigners
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- Allowing women to receive education, healthcare and open a business
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without their husband's permission
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- Allowing women to play sports and exercise in public
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- Allowing women to become lawyers
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- Allowing women to drive
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- Allowing women to enlist in the military
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Whilst Saudi Arabia is still an extremely
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[patriarchal](Patriarchy "wikilink") and authoritarian country, these
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limited reforms are huge wins.
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## References
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[Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") - [2011-12 Saudi Arabian
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protests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011–12_Saudi_Arabian_protests) |