From Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN
A photograph of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz adorns a bridge in Riyadh — protests are expected in Saudi Arabia Friday.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The protests come a day after three people were hurt in other demonstrations
- An analyst says he does not expect much of an impact from protests
- A human rights group condemns police use of force in a protest this week
(CNN) — Defying a government ban on all kinds of public demonstrations, a group is planning a “Day of Rage” protests Friday in Saudi Arabia.
These protests come a day after three people were taken to the hospital after Saudi security forces fired on scores of protesters in the city of Qatif, according to two witnesses and an activist.
On Thursday, more than 100 people gathered in the predominantly Shiite city in eastern Saudi Arabia to urge authorities to release Shiite prisoners.
At some point, the witnesses said Saudi security forces shot to disperse the crowd. It was unknown if the forces fired rubber bullets or live ammunition. Those injured were taken to Qatif Central Hospital for treatment, the activist and witnesses said.
A human rights group in Saudi Arabia condemned the action calling the use of force by police “deplorable.”
“(The group) condemns, with the loudest and clearest words, the use of all kinds of force to disperse demonstrators particularly when live ammunition was used last night against the demonstrators in Qatif,” the Human Rights First Society said in a statement released Friday.
The protests in Saudi Arabia comes as unrest brews in parts of the Middle East and North Africa and has caused major changes in places like Egypt and Tunisia.
A longtime observer of the kingdom remained skeptical that the protest would make a major impact.
“I don’t think any protests that happen (Friday) will be destabilizing to the country,” said Christopher Boucek, a Saudi expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “I don’t think you’ll see what happened in Egypt and Bahrain and Yemen and Tunisia.”
The protests in the majority Sunni kingdom have followed similar demands across the Arab world for more freedom and democracy.
Last week, about 24 protesters were detained in Qatif as they denounced “the prolonged detention” of nine Shiite prisoners held without trial for more than 14 years, Amnesty International said.
CNN’s Elise Labott contributed to this report.
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