Saudis hold funeral for protester killed in Qatif

Thousands of people in the Qatif region of Saudi Arabia have held a funeral for the teenage protester who was shot dead by the Riyadh regime forces during a demonstration in the oil-rich Eastern Province. Ali al-Marar, 18, was killed on December 27 when police opened fire on a group of residents in Qatif, who had taken to the streets in protest against the Al Saud regime. Eastern Province has been rocked by anti-regime protests since February 2011. Saudi protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis mainly in Qatif and the town of Awamiyah in the province. Their primary demands were the release of all political prisoners, social justice and an end to systematic discrimination. However, the demonstrations have turned into protests against the repressive Al Saud regime, especially since November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the province. On October 16, Amnesty International called on the Saudi authorities to stop using excessive force against the protesters. “The Saudi authorities must end their repeated moves to stifle people’s attempts to protest against the widespread use of arbitrary detention in the country,” Amnesty said in a statement. “The right of people to peaceful protest must be respected and the security forces must refrain from detaining or using excessive force against people who exercise it.” According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi regime “routinely represses expression critical of the government.”