Timeline of the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests (January–April 2011)
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The following is a timeline of the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests from January to April 2011. The 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests are a series of ongoing protests taking place in Saudi Arabia, which began in January 2011, influenced by concurrent protests in the region.
Protests started with a 65-year-old man's self-immolation in Samtah, Jizan on 21 January[36] and protests of a few hundred people in late January in Jeddah[37][38] and several times throughout February and early March in the cities of Qatif, al-Awamiyah, Riyadh, and Hofuf.[39] A "Day of Rage" was planned for 11 March.[40][41][42] One of the main organisers, Faisal Ahmed Abdul-Ahad[25] (or Abdul-Ahadwas[26]), was alleged to have been killed by Saudi security forces on 2 March,[26][27] by which time one of the Facebook groups discussing the plans had over 26,000 members.[30] On 11 March, several hundred people protested in Qatif, Hofuf and al-Amawiyah.[43] Khaled al-Johani demonstrated in Riyadh despite a massive police presence,[43] was interviewed by BBC Arabic Television, and has since then been detained in ʽUlaysha Prison.[44][45] Al-Johani became known online as "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia".[44]
The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) and the Saudi organisation Human Rights First Society called for ACPRA co-founder Mohammed Saleh Albejadi to be released following his arbitrary arrest in Buraidah on 21 March by Mabahith, the internal security agency.[46] In April, several small protests over labour rights took place in front of government ministry buildings in Riyadh, Ta'if and Tabuk.[47][48] Protests, made up mainly of Shia protesters, continued in late March and April in Qatif and smaller cities in the Eastern Province such as al-Awamiyah, and Hofuf.[39][29][49] The protesters called for the release of prisoners, for the Peninsula Shield Force to be withdrawn from Bahrain,[11][50] for equal representation in key offices and for reforms in political positions, as they feel marginalised.[49]
In response to the 22–23 March announcement of men-only municipal elections in late September 2011 to elect half the members of local councils,[17][18] women organised a Facebook women's suffrage campaign called "Baladi", stating that Saudi Arabian law gives women electoral rights.[51] In April, women in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam tried to register as electors for the 22 September municipal elections despite officials stating that women could not participate.[51][2]