Kuwaiti Protests (2011–2012)
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The Kuwaiti protests refers to the series of 2011–2012 demonstrations for government reforms in the state of
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
. In November 2011, the
government of Kuwait Kuwait is an emirate. The Emir of Kuwait, a hereditary monarch from the Al Sabah ruling family appoints the prime minister (who is always a royal) and other members of government, as well as members of judicial, police and financial institutions. ...
resigned in response to the protests, making Kuwait one of several countries affected by the
Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...
to experience major governmental changes due to unrest. The protests began with stateless people (Bedoon).


History and timeline


Stateless protests (early 2011)

Sabah Al-Sabah Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (; 16 June 1929 – 29 September 2020) was the Emir of Kuwait from 24 January 2006 until his death in 2020. He was the fourth son of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Early life and early career Al-Sabah was b ...
, the
Emir of Kuwait The Emir of the State of Kuwait () is the monarch and head of state of Kuwait, and is the country's most powerful office. The emirs of Kuwait are members of the Al Sabah dynasty. Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah became the emir of Kuwa ...
, gave every Kuwaiti citizen 1,000
dinars The dinar () is the name of the principal currency unit in several countries near the Mediterranean Sea, with a more widespread historical use. The English word "dinar" is the transliteration of the Arabic دينار (''dīnār''), which was bor ...
(3580 $) and a free food grant for one year on 18 January 2011, officially to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kuwait's liberation from occupying Iraqi forces during the
First Gulf War The Gulf War (1990–1991) was an armed conflict between Iraq and a multinational military coalition led by the United States, triggered by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Persian Gulf War may also refer to: * Shatt al-Arab conflict ...
, as well as the 50th anniversary of the state's independence. But the grant was not extended to the stateless
Bedoon The Bedoon or Bidoon (), fully Bidoon jinsiya, are stateless people in several Middle Eastern countries, but particularly in Kuwait, where there is a large population of stateless people who lack access to many of the country's basic services. It ...
living in Kuwait. Dozens demonstrated in
Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economic center of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Pal ...
on 19 February against their supposed second-class status. Opposition leaders called for further protests in March to pressure Prime Minister
Nasser Al-Sabah Nasser Al-Mohammed Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (, born 22 December 1940) is a Kuwaiti politician who served as Prime Minister of Kuwait from 7 February 2006 until resigning on 28 November 2011. Early life Sheikh Nasser was born on 22 December 194 ...
to resign. Stateless people continued to protest into January 2012 despite a protest ban, turning out on 13 and 14 January in slums near
Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economic center of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Pal ...
to call for the right to citizenship. On both days, violence broke out, with riot police clashing with stateless demonstrators and arresting several dozen on 13 January and firing tear gas to disperse rally-goers on 14 January. Riot police on 2 October used tear gas and smoke bombs to disperse hundreds of stateless demonstrators who were demanding citizenship. Witnesses and activists said at least three people, including a policeman, were slightly wounded and 10 stateless were arrested as security forces laid a siege on the Taima suburb in
Al Jahra Al Jahra () is a city and area located west of the centre of Kuwait City in Kuwait. Al Jahra is the capital of the Al Jahra Governorate of Kuwait as well as the surrounding Al Jahra District which is agriculturally based. Encyclopædia Britanni ...
which houses tens of thousands of stateless. The new protest comes a week after three international human rights groups sent an unprecedented letter to Emir Al-Sabah urging him to end alleged abuse against stateless people.


Political protests (mid 2011–2012)

On the night of 16 November, demonstrators and several opposition MPs stormed the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
, briefly occupying it while singing and shouting slogans calling for Prime Minister
Nasser Al-Sabah Nasser Al-Mohammed Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (, born 22 December 1940) is a Kuwaiti politician who served as Prime Minister of Kuwait from 7 February 2006 until resigning on 28 November 2011. Early life Sheikh Nasser was born on 22 December 194 ...
to step down. They left after several minutes to rally in the adjacent
Al-Erada Square Al-Erada Square (also known as Erada Square) is a public gathering square in Kuwait City, Kuwait, located in front of the Kuwait National Assembly Building. It is notable for being the location of Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series ...
, although riot police attacked several protesters with nightsticks when a smaller group split off and tried to charge the prime minister's residence. Shortly after the Constitutional Court declared in June 2012 that the February 2012
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...
were "illegal" and reinstated the previous pro-government parliament, thousands of Kuwaitis rally in
Al-Erada Square Al-Erada Square (also known as Erada Square) is a public gathering square in Kuwait City, Kuwait, located in front of the Kuwait National Assembly Building. It is notable for being the location of Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series ...
on 26 June to protests against a court ruling that dissolved the opposition-dominated parliament. Demonstrators chanted "we will not surrender", while a prominent opposition MP called for a
constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...
. On 27 August, around 3,000 people, mainly men in traditional Kuwaiti dress, gathered opposite parliament at Al-Erada Square to protest changes to the electoral law which they said could harm the prospects of opposition lawmakers in upcoming elections. Around 1,500 Kuwaitis took part in a rally late on 10 September to protest against possible changes in the electoral law and call for more democracy. The crowd, which included opposition lawmakers and political activists, gathered outside parliament in a square which has hosted several anti-government demonstrations since late last year. However, the turnout was smaller than previous rallies in the major oil producer and there was only a light police presence. Thousands of Kuwait opposition supporters rallied on 24 September, a day ahead where the Constitutional Court is scheduled to rule on next day if the electoral constituency law is in line with the constitution based on a request submitted by the government last month. Around 10,000 people, who filled the seaside square opposite the parliament building, cheered loudly as opposition figures called for an elected government and warned against what they called a politicised ruling. The next day, the Constitutional Court ruled that the Gulf emirate's electoral constituency law was in line with the constitution, rejecting a government appeal. Dozens of opposition activists who were in the court room hailed the verdict and exchanged congratulations. On 15 October, Kuwaiti security forces detained at least five people, including the son of a prominent opposition figure, at an anti-government protest against possible changes to an election law. Several people were hurt in skirmishes at the rally, attended by at least 3,000 people who defied a request by authorities to cancel the Monday night demonstration. In some of the strongest remarks by an opposition figure, former lawmaker
Musallam Al-Barrak Musallam Al-Barrak () is a Kuwaiti politician. He was a member of the National Assembly of Kuwait, Kuwaiti National Assembly representing the Kuwait's Fourth District, fourth district. Background Born on January 30, 1956, Al-Barrak studied geogr ...
appealed directly to Kuwaiti Emir to avoid "autocratic rule". His speech to the crowd contained extremely rare criticism of the ruler, "In the name of the nation, in the name of the people, we will not let you, your Highness, practice autocratic rule," Barrak told the rally in a speech addressed to the emir, drew repeated chants of "we will not let you, we will not let you" from the crowd. Analysts said his remarks, including the criticism of the emir could spark a strong reaction from the authorities. The son of
Ahmed Al-Sadoun Ahmed Abdulaziz al-Sadoun (, born November 12, 1934) is a Kuwaiti politician and activist who was the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kuwait, Kuwaiti National Assembly from June 20, 2023 to February 15, 2024. He was previously the speaker fr ...
, another prominent opposition leader and former parliament speaker, was among those detained during the protest near parliament where several anti-government demonstrations have taken place in the past year. After the 1 December elections which were won by pro-government candidates due to boycotts by the opposition, hundreds of opposition supporters demonstrated in various areas of Kuwait late on 6 December to demand scrapping the newly elected national assembly. Night demonstrations were staged in at least four areas of the state and that riot police used teargas and stun grenades to disperse the protesters. Activists clashed with police on the next day as they took to the streets in at least eight areas of the Gulf state. Thousands then demonstrated on 8 December to demand dissolving the new elected parliament.


Nasser Abul

Nasser Abul is a
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
i online activist. On 7 July 2011, he was imprisoned by the
government of Kuwait Kuwait is an emirate. The Emir of Kuwait, a hereditary monarch from the Al Sabah ruling family appoints the prime minister (who is always a royal) and other members of government, as well as members of judicial, police and financial institutions. ...
on state security charges, following a series of tweets in support of Arab Spring protesters in
Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
. Sheikh Abdullah Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Fateh Al Khalifa of Bahrain's ruling Al Khalifa family thanked the Kuwaiti government for Abul's arrest and also announced his intention to file a private libel suit against Abul. Following his arrest, Abul stated that the most inflammatory tweets on his account had been posted by hackers, and that when he became aware of the tweets, he had deleted them with his
iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...
. Abul has alleged that he was beaten and subjected to
sleep deprivation Sleep deprivation, also known as sleep insufficiency or sleeplessness, is the condition of not having adequate duration and/or quality of sleep to support decent alertness, performance, and health. It can be either Chronic (medicine), chronic ...
in the first two days of his detention; according to his lawyer, Abul was also denied counsel for several hearings. One week after his arrest,
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
named him a
prisoner of conscience A prisoner of conscience (POC) is anyone imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views. The term also refers to those who have been imprisoned or persecuted for the nonviolent expression of their conscienti ...
and called for his immediate release.
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
also demanded that the charges against him be dropped, with a representative stating that "Kuwait has sunk to a new low by arresting people just for posting criticism of governments on the internet." On 19 September, Kuwaiti MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, requested Abul's release, calling it "a shame to taint Kuwait’s human rights history". On 27 September 2011, Abul was released from Kuwait Central Prison.


Response


Domestic

On 18 October 2012, former MP Bader al-Dahum was taken into police custody. Khaled al-Tahus, also a former MP, was summoned for questioning by the prosecution service. Later, a group of around 500 people gathered outside the Justice Palace late Thursday night to protest against the detention of the former lawmakers. On the same day, Kuwait's
Al-Sabah The House of Sabah ( ''Āl Ṣabāḥ'') is the ruling family of Kuwait. History Origin The Al Sabah family originate from the Bani Utbah confederation. Prior to settling in Kuwait, the Al Sabah family were expelled from Umm Qasr in southern I ...
royal family issued a rare statement calling for "obedience" to the government. The three former lawmakers were all later released on bail on 23 October. Local media reported on 24 October that authorities have banned gatherings of more than 20 people. Opposition lawmaker
Musallam Al-Barrak Musallam Al-Barrak () is a Kuwaiti politician. He was a member of the National Assembly of Kuwait, Kuwaiti National Assembly representing the Kuwait's Fourth District, fourth district. Background Born on January 30, 1956, Al-Barrak studied geogr ...
was arrested by Kuwaiti authorities on the night of 29 October following a news conference at his house where he called on the government to abide by the constitution. Activists says that his arrest could impact for the further protests, which demonstrators have vowed to stage another protest on 4 November. He was freed after an appeal although he remains under investigation. Another opposition figure, former Islamist MP Faisal Al-Muslim, has been summoned for questioning on 31 October. On 3 November, the Kuwaiti newspaper '' Al-Anbaa'' quoted a security source saying that authorities may call in the army to help security forces stop a march called by the opposition for the next day, shortly after the government vowed to use force if necessary. There were allegations that Jordanian forces had been deployed to assist in quelling protests in Kuwait. However, the Jordanian government denies this, saying the reports were "fabricated" and "not worthy of comment."


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuwaiti protests (2011-2012) 2011 protests 2012 protests 2011 in Kuwait 2012 in Kuwait Arab Spring by country Protests in Kuwait