(ARABNEWS.COM) – Hundreds of Ethiopians, including at least 70 women, armed themselves with knives, rocks and broken bottles and threatened police, pedestrians and motorists in Manfouha district’s narrow streets. Anti-riot police fired in the air and used truncheons to break up the crowd. In the ensuing clashes, two men were killed — a Saudi and an Ethiopian. The Saudi victim, 32, was struck on the head with a rock. More than 70 people, including 28 Saudis, were injured and 104 vehicles were damaged. Several shops were ransacked. Police arrested 561 people. The district’s schools remained shut on Sunday, according to eyewitnesses. Riyadh police chief Brig. Gen. Naser Al-Qahtani said police had cordoned off central Riyadh to control the crowd and arrest troublemakers. Medical personnel reported that victims suffered concussions, bruises and knife wounds.
On Sunday, police established an asylum center at the intersection of King Abdul Aziz Road, south of Riyadh Ring Road, where hundreds of undocumented Ethiopians surrendered in response to police calls.
Reacting to the riots, Jamal Khashoggi, Alarab TV chief, said that whoever opposed labor action to rid the country of illegal workers and regulate the market should now think of the worst-case scenario. “No country would ever accept illegal workers,” he said.
Hamad Al-Qadi, a former Shoura Council member, said: “We shouldn’t be deterred by rioting. We should continue with the campaign against illegal workers for the interest and security of our nation. This forms part of our fundamental right to protect our sovereignty … Nobody can argue against that.”
Ghazi Al-Shammari, head of the Family Cooperation Committee at the Eastern Province Governorate, has warned Saudi families who employ Ethiopian maids against acts of vengeance, especially when they have easy access to news through their cell phones. “The security of our nation is a red line that can’t be crossed,” he said, calling for full cooperation with security departments and warning against coverup businesses at all costs.
Many Saudi bloggers have asked for the eradication of visa trading and coverup operations. “This is an old problem that has worsened over the years,” said Yousef Al-Mubarak, who called for a final solution. “Now is the time to keep up the momentum.”
Meanwhile…
One police officer and four Ethiopian immigrants were killed on Sunday when the vehicle transporting them to the Shumaisy deportation center overturned.
Another policeman and three Ethiopians were injured in the accident, which took place near Al-Jaizah police station in Al-Laith Governorate. The vehicle rolled over several times as a result of a flat tire. The officer who died in the crash was identified as Sgt. Maj. Hamdan Al-Maliki.
“The accident was caused by a tire burst,” said Col. Moammar Saleh of the traffic department in Al-Laith. He confirmed that the vehicle was transferring seven Ethiopian illegal expats to the Shumaisy deportation center.