Muscat: An ugly confrontation between protesters and security agencies was avoided at the Globe Roundabout late evening when police handed over three citizens, held earlier in the day, to a local shaikh.
"The protesters were getting edgy while demanding the release of the three and that could have led to them going to police station again like on Monday evening but fortunately the three were released by the police," one of the protesters, who advocates peaceful protests told Gulf News.
The protesters were still present at 9pm but were just sitting at the roundabout peacefully.
Rally declares loyalty to Sultan Qaboos
Calm returned to the industrial port town of Sohar on Wednesday even as Oman sent army reinforcements to the northern parts of the country where peaceful protests turned violent last Sunday and continued until Monday evening.
As this correspondent was driving back to Muscat after 2pm, convoys of army vehicles, including armoured vehicles were seen heading in the direction of Sohar. According to sources they went even further past Sohar.
While the protests spread to Oman's eastern coastal town of Sur, a huge and probably the biggest so far, peace rally pledged loyalty to Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed in Muscat's industrial area of Ghala Tuesday evening.
Army units in armour vehicles took charge of the Globe Roundabout early in the morning today and every protester was cleared off the roundabout.
However, after about noon, gradually the protesters began gathering and their numbers kept swelling. On the other hand as the reinforcement started approaching Sohar, the dozen-odd armoured vehicles left the Globe Roundabout.
While the army personnel were at the Globe Roundabout the traffic movement was slow but uninterrupted but alter the protesters blocked the roundabout for the traffic.
According to sources, some protesters also blocked the access road to the Sohar Port and Oman Refinery but army went to guard the two vital installations.
There were no tanks deployed at the Globe Roundabout as this correspondent only saw armoured vehicles mounted with guns.
Meanwhile, local Sohar citizens had began guarding some of the government buildings and late on Monday night young Sohar residents were seen roaming the streets with sticks and torches in search of rogue elements, who were later chased off by them.
Yousuf Al Badi and Khalfa Al Badi, two of the protesters spoke to Gulf News at the Globe Roundabout and said that they were for peaceful protests and do anything to stop vandals.
Gulf News was also given a two-letter demand letter that the protesters gave it to Sultan Qaboos's representative, Syed Ali Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan Royal Court.
The hostility that was evident on Monday at the Globe Roundabout eased off on Tuesday as even police personnel were seen in lighter mood outside the police station, where the gate was opened unlike in the past two days when policemen were cooped up inside the station were forced to use teargas shells to disperse hostile crowd.
In Muscat, over 2000 people marched from Grand Mosque around Ghala Industrial Area with portraits of Sultan Qaboos and shouted slogans such as "We live for you, We will die for you." There were a number of expatriates who joined in.
The protesters' rally outside the Majlis Asshsura office had far less attendance than the previous occasions. "There have been attempt to confuse protesters," said Saeed Al Hashmi, writer, who addressed the protesters at the Shura building.
He also ridiculed mass SMSes being circulated in Oman that blamed outside country for fanning violence in Oman. "These are all tactics to diver the whole issue," he alleged in his speech.
Meanwhile, the State Council on Monday, in a statement issued to Oman news Agency, said that the Council sees these peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins as legal right to the citizens as they are protected by the basic law of the state but at the same time it is concerned regarding the sabotage that coincided with these demonstrations that supposed to be peaceful and concentrated on the basic demands requested by the demonstrators as these sabotaged properties are public and private properties for all citizens.
"The protection of these properties are guaranteed by the Sultanate's enforced regulations and laws as this sabotage is also against the morals, values and Islamic teachings that from the beliefs of the Omani society," the statement further said.
The statements of the State Council called for resorting to reasonable dialogue language and avoid all features of violence with the peaceful demonstrators and giving them the chance to express themselves and clarify their demands as stated in the basic law of the state.
"The council would also like to express appreciation to the civilised discipline that characterised the first and second green marches performed by the demonstrators that clearly expressed the Omani awareness and morals that won the appreciation of the leadership and citizens."
The State Council called upon all parties to care for this nation, Oman under the leadership of Sultan Qaboos.
