The General Director of the Northern Governorate Police announced that a group of individuals held an illegal rally called for by Al Wefaq National Islamic Society in the vicinity of Khamis on Friday evening.
When the group disobeyed warnings and orders to leave the area, Police then used legal methods to disperse the crowd. The General Director said that some people sustained various injuries, in which one of them was referred to hospital. The case is under investigation.
The General Director also said that Al Wefaq National Islamic Society had submitted a request to hold the rally. The request was denied due to the proposed timing and location; as it would have caused traffic congestion, and would have endangered public and private property. He noted that Al Wefaq was aware that permission to hold the event had been denied prior to the start of the event.
Earlier, the Interior Ministry in a statement said that it had turned down a request submitted by Al Wefaq to the Northern Police Directorate to stage a rally on June22 from Al-Khamis to Sheikh Aziz Mosque.
Public Security Chief Major-General Tariq Al-Hassan cited security reasons and the need to conform to the provisions of the law on public meetings, rallies and marches.
“Holding the rally in such a vital location would disrupt security and compromise people’s interests”, he said.
He stressed the importance of exercising the right of expression and opinion in conformity with the law provisions, slamming claims purporting the Interior Ministry bans the right of rallying.
“Those who advocate democracy should first abide by the law – the basis of democracy”, he said.
Seeking to debunk such claims, Al-Hassan said that Al-Wefaq had organized since January 27 protests and 20 rallies marred by violations which prompted legal action against the perpetrators.
He warned that participants in tomorrow’s illegal rally would be held accountable
The Northern Police director general slammed the organisers of the illegal rally for their indifference to protestors’ safety and determination to break the law.