Kuwaiti security forces violently disperse anti-government protest

Security forces violently dispersed a protest that had congregated at the Irada Square in Kuwait city on Monday evening, arresting dozens of people and assaulting others.

Those arrested include lawyers and opposition activists, as well as Nawaf al-Hendel, the head of a Kuwaiti human rights group.

This is the third weekly protest to take place this month, which was triggered by the imprisonment of Mussallam al-Barrak, a popular opposition figure and former lawmaker. Protests have been largely centred upon political reforms, the release of political detainees, the opening up of a multi-party system, and the abolition of the decision to withdraw citizenship from political dissidents.

Around 500 people, including women and children, demonstrated on Monday evening. As a few dozen activists began to march toward parliament, the police reacted with force and used batons and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, according to eyewitnesses.

Images and videos of the dispersal began to circulate on social media. Supporters of the protest tweeted that those injured should go to private hospitals, as police were stationed at state hospitals. Women were assaulted by police and one disabled man, Fahad al-Maymooni, was dragged from his wheelchair and arrested.

Rana Jasem al-Sadoun, the spokesperson for the National Committee for Monitoring Violence, told the Middle East Eye that “the violence today was excessive.”

“The previous two protests were calm and the security forces did not intervene,” she said. “The protest was made up of families, husbands and wives, children singing…what happened today was a security mobilisation.”

After last week’s protest, a constitutional ruling banned gatherings in public unless the Ministry of Interior gave prior written permission. Sadoun described the ruling as “null” because it “violates the establishment of the Constitutional Court Law.”

An anonymous activist told the Middle East Eye that the presence of security forces for protests has increased.

“Four years ago we used to march in the streets and there would be no special forces there,” she said. “But since then there has been a slow choking of all free expression by the authorities. I have attended 90 percent of the rallies and protesters have always been peaceful. The authorities have been the violent ones and initiated all clashes.”

“It’s a joke,” she added, speaking of the new court ruling banning public assemblies. “You’re not going to go to the government and say ‘may I have a permit to protest against you.’”

Translation: The special forces assault the protesters at Irada Square

A recently leaked video that allegedly shows the head of the constitutional court receiving a bribe has contributed to people’s anger at the perceived corruption of the government.

“We don’t know if the video is real or not but we want an independent committee established to investigate these allegations,” the activist said. “That’s one of the reasons people were protesting tonight.”

The activist, who is a single mother of three and has been active in the opposition for six years, listed the reasons why people have been protesting on a weekly basis this month.

“We want the government dismantled,” she said. “We want the parliament dissolved and re-elected freely by the people. We want the bribes to stop to the judiciary.”

The National Committee for Monitoring Violence has published the names of 15 protesters who have been confirmed as arrested. Sadoun said that this reaction from the security forces has riled people up and that other protests are already being planned.

“After this display of violence, I don’t know what will happen to the country anymore,” she said.