Day after police fired on protesters appears peaceful
One day after police fired on protesters in Saudi Arabia, the streets in the eastern city of Qatif are quiet, with only peaceful demonstrations on the outskirts of town. Witnesses report heavy police presence in the country’s capital, Riyadh, and no protests. Another city, Al-Ahsa, saw several protesters arrested but again witnesses reported no violence. Protesters have been calling for democratic reforms in the country, which has been ruled by the al-Saud family for the last 80 years. Shiite Muslims in the Eastern Province have called for an end to what they say is government discrimination against them; the royal family and the majority of the country’s population are Sunni Muslims.