7 Nov 2019; MEMO: Hundreds of protestors gathered yesterday evening in front of Kuwait’s parliament against poor public services and the state’s perceived unwillingness to fight corruption.
Reports suggest that the protest was called by a former lawmaker, Saleh Al-Moulla, who mobilised Kuwaitis on social media under the slogan “That’s enough”. The demonstration was organised with the permission of the authorities.
Al-Moulla told journalists that the protest was “a message from the people and an expression of the unhappiness of the people in the face of corruption.”
“We want our government to stop stealing public money,” one protester told AFP. “They have stolen our hopes and dreams.”
According to lawyer and human rights advocate Mohammed Al-Houmaidi, the initiative is not led by any political movement. “This is led by the population themselves who have come to flag their problems with housing, health and education.”
Current and former Members of Parliament — along with a number of Bidoons, a social class in Kuwait without any nationality — participated in the protest, which took place in the iconic Al-Erada Square. The demonstration comes amid anti-government protests in neighbouring Iraq and also Lebanon, where citizens are citing similar grievances.
