Dubai: Large-scale demonstrations in Kuwait were successfully dispersed an hour before they were meant to end without reported cases of injuries.
Kuwaiti forces successfully disbanded the "Dignity of a Nation" protests on Sunday following the use of tear gas and smoke bombs in what appeared to be large-scale opposition rallies protesting the emir’s changing of the electoral law.
The protests died down following a meeting between the emir and four former MPs in which the emir reportedly agreed to approve the holding of demonstrations if an approval request was made.
Activists on twitter however said that the security services had begun “arbitrarily” detaining people after the protests had died. The government had promised to hold accountable anyone participating in the rallies.
Protesters came prepared with face masks to minimise the effect of tear gas.
A picture of an opposition protester helping a uniformed man who had allegedly mistakenly inhaled the tear gas that has been fired to disperse the crowds was widely circulated on twitter.
Many stressed that they were opposed to the government and not their “brothers” in the security forces in the face of tear gas and sound bombs.
Meanwhile, Kuwait’s ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs issued a statement saying that illegal demonstrations and rallies were not a religiously sanctioned method of bringing about change and reform, according to Kuwaiti daily Al Watan.
