625 workers arrested after protest turns violent

Sharjah: More than 600 workers were arrested yesterday after a protest turned violent in Sharjah causing the Al Nahda area to be blocked for three hours, according to police officials.

Workers for a contracting company blocked the road towards Al Sahara at around 11pm on Tuesday night and attacked police with building materials and stones. Some also took to the higher floors of a tower and attacked policemen and passing cars from above.

Four policemen and three workers were transferred to hospital after suffering minor injuries, according to hospital officials.

Brigadier Humaid Mohammad Al Hudaidi, Director-General of Sharjah Police, said 625 workers were detained and referred to the Public Prosecution after Sharjah police in cooperation with forces from Abu Dhabi and Dubai Police controlled the situation.

"The security forces in the country will not tolerate anybody that endangers public security and violates the law," said Al Hudaidi, adding the reasons behind the incident might have been the illegal housing of the workers.