Saudi Arabia bans protests, marches

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 5 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia's interior minister has announced on state television that all protests and marches have been banned.

The statement said police were authorized to use any methods deemed necessary to quell protests and marches, the BBC reported Saturday.

"Regulations in the kingdom forbid categorically all sorts of demonstrations, marches and sit-ins, as they contradict Islamic Shariah law and the values and traditions of Saudi society," the Saudi interior ministry statement said.

The Guardian said Saudi Arabia has drafted as many as 10,000 security forces and will send them to the northeastern Muslim Shiite provinces ahead of mass protests planned there next week.

Saudi Shiites held protests in two towns in the oil-rich province Thursday and protesters were reportedly planning to place women on the front ranks of the planned protests to prevent Saudi forces from firing on them.

Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh reportedly set off a deadly battle Friday night when he rejected an opposition peace proposal in that country. He reportedly ordered troops to open fire on protesters, killing four.