2011–2012 Kuwaiti protests

2011–2012 Kuwaiti protests
Part of the Arab Spring
Date February 19, 2011 (2011-02-19) – November 28, 2011 (2011-11-28) Location  Kuwait Causes Statelessness Corruption Income inequality Characteristics Demonstrations Strike action Riots Online activism Result Prime Minister Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah resigns Dissolution of the Parliament

The 2011–2012 Kuwaiti protests are an ongoing series of demonstrations for government reforms in the Persian Gulf emirate of Kuwait. On 28 November 2011, the government of Kuwait resigned in response to the protests, making Kuwait one of several countries affected by the Arab Spring to experience major governmental changes due to popular unrest.

Timeline

Bedoun protests

Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, gave every Kuwaiti citizen 1,000 dinars (3580 $) and a free food grant for one year on 18 January 2011,^[1] officially to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kuwait's liberation from occupying Iraqi forces during the First Gulf War, as well as the 50th anniversary of the state's independence.^[2] But the grant was not extended to the stateless Bedoun living in Kuwait. Dozens demonstrated in Kuwait City on 19 February against their supposed second-class status.^[3] Opposition leaders called for further protests in March to pressure Prime Minister Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah to resign.^[4][5]

Bedouns continued to protest into January 2012 despite a protest ban, turning out en masse on 13 and 14 January in slums near Kuwait City to call for the right to citizenship. On both days, violence broke out, with riot police clashing with Bedoun demonstrators and arresting several dozen on 13 January and firing tear gas to disperse rally-goers on 14 January.^[6][7]

Political protests

In June 2011, hundreds of Kuwaitis marched in an anti-government protest, calling for the resignation of the prime minister.^[8] A 10-year old Egyptian boy named Bassem was expelled from education in the country for asking in class, "Why didn't you have a revolution in your country?" Accused of inciting a revolution, the expulsion sparked an outcry, resulting in his reinstatement later that month.^[9][10] Soon thereafter, reports surfaced of a crisis growing in the country as a rebellious parliament stepped up pressure on the ruling family over allegations of mismanagement of public funds, corruption and inefficiency.^[11]

On 21 September, several thousand people marched in Kuwait City. Estimates of the number of ralliers ranged dramatically, from 5,000 at the low end to 70,000 at the high end.^[12] Small incidents continued after that, and in October, the oil industry went on strike^[13] as well as over three thousand customs workers, and on 20 October, there was another very large demonstration in the capital.^[14][15] In response, the Prime Minister denounced the protests as "going too far" and threatened a security crackdown.^[16] The opposition group in Parliament formed a committee for constitutional reforms.^[17]

Storming of the National Assembly

On the night of 16 November, demonstrators and several opposition MPs stormed the National Assembly, briefly occupying it while singing and shouting slogans calling for Prime Minister Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah to step down. They left after several minutes to rally in the adjacent Al-Erada Square, although riot police attacked several protesters with nightsticks when a smaller group split off and tried to charge the prime minister's residence.^[18]

Government response

After the storming of the National Assembly, Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah convened an emergency Cabinet meeting on 17 November to discuss the event. The emir denounced the demonstration as "an unprecedented step on the path to anarchy and lawlessness" and blamed the clashes on "preplanned sabotage" by "rioters".^[19][20] He called it "Black Day".^[21][22][23] The Kuwaiti opposition responded by intimating the royal family sought to make Kuwait into "a police state". Opposition lawmakers vowed to intensify protests "regardless of the price".^[24]

The prime minister and his cabinet submitted their resignation on 28 November ahead of a mass rally calling for their departure from power. The emir accepted the resignation and is expected to name a new prime minister within days, though Nasser will serve until the formation of a new government.^[25] Up to 50 thousand people marched in Kuwait city hours after the resignations were announced.

On 6 December, the Emir dissolved parliament and set elections for 2 February 2012. ^[26] The dissolved house was to complete its term in May 2013.

References

v t e Arab Spring "Ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam" Events by country Tunisia Algeria Bahrain Egypt (revolution · transition) Iranian Khuzestan Iraq Israeli borders Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya (civil war · transition) Mali Mauritania Morocco Oman Palestinian Authority Saudi Arabia Sudan Syria Yemen Groups Bahrain: Al Wefaq February 14 Youth Coalition Egypt: April 6 Youth Movement Kefaya Muslim Brotherhood National Association for Change National Democratic Party Revolutionary Socialists Libya: National Liberation Army National Transitional Council Saudi Arabia: Women to drive movement CDHRAP Society for Development and Change Syria: Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (Regional Command · National Command) Free Syrian Army Syrian Revolution General Commission National Council of Syria National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change Tunisia: Constitutional Democratic Rally Yemen: Alliance of Yemeni Tribes Al-Islah Hashid Notable people Algeria: Abdelaziz Bouteflika Bahrain: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Hasan Mushaima Ali Salman Ali Jawad al-Sheikh Egypt: Hosni Mubarak Omar Suleiman Wael Ghonim Khaled Mohamed Saeed Gigi Ibrahim Essam Sharaf Mohamed ElBaradei Jordan: King Abdullah II Marouf al-Bakhit Samir Rifai Libya: Muammar Gaddafi Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Mustafa Abdul Jalil Mahmoud Jibril Mohammed Nabbous Morocco: Mohammed VI Abbas El Fassi Saudi Arabia: Khaled al-Johani Manal al-Sharif Sudan: Hassan al-Turabi Syria: Bashar al-Assad Burhan Ghalioun Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb Tunisia: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Mohamed Bouazizi United Arab Emirates: UAE Five Yemen: Ali Abdullah Saleh Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi Tawakel Karman Abdul Majeed al-Zindani Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar Sadiq al-Ahmar Impact Occupy movement Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Burkina Faso Croatia Cyprus Djibouti Georgia Greece India Iran Iraqi Kurdistan Maldives Mexico People's Republic of China Portugal Russia Spain Turkey United Kingdom United States (2011 Wisconsin protests Occupy Wall Street) International reactions United Nations General Assembly Resolution 65/265 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2009 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2014 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2016 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2042 Category  Commons  Wikiquotes