Kuwait security forces break up mass protest

Security forces battled protesters in one of Kuwait’s biggest demonstrations on Sunday night, in the latest deepening of a political crisis that will be watched nervously by monarchies across the oil-rich Gulf.

Authorities fired teargas and stun grenades as thousands took to the streets of Kuwait City to oppose changes to the electoral law that could hobble the opposition at polls due in December. Critics have accused the government of staging a constitutional “coup”.
Tension has been mounting in Kuwait – the most open of the tightly controlled Gulf autocracies – between an opposition of Sunni Islamists and tribal politicians, and a pro-government group of Shia lawmakers, middle-class city dwellers and liberals.

A witness at the iconic Kuwait Towers monument said he saw about 10,000 to 15,000 people assembled as they faced authorities armed with teargas, batons and stun grenades.

Several people were carried away injured and suffering from teargas inhalation, he said. The area had already been closed off by police, with gatherings continuing in other parts of the city.

Other witnesses said either rubber bullets or paintball shots were fired, while riot police wore balaclavas. Telephone lines went down as networks were overloaded with calls.

Video footage purportedly taken of one part of the demonstration and uploaded to the internet showed hundreds of protesters, many in traditional white robes, streaming past the camera. Some chanted and clapped in an atmosphere that appeared calm.

Elections have been called for December 1 after the emir dissolved parliament this month in the Gulf state that is Opec’s third-biggest producer.

The ruling al-Sabah family is facing one of its toughest challenges yet, after the popular Islamist-dominated parliament elected this year was deemed unconstitutional, leading to the reinstatement of the 2009 parliament, which had collapsed after allegations of corruption.

The emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, called for unity at the weekend and said he would not accept a “culture of violence” or “chaos on the street”.

The country’s stock market fell 3.1 per cent on Sunday before the protests in Kuwait City – the biggest drop since July 2009.

FT