Souq Shock for Asian Bachelors
Gulf Times (By Peter Townson) - Asian bachelors were beaten with whips and even kicked during a heavy-handed police operation to prevent them from entering Doha’s popular souq areas yesterday. Several encounters, witnessed by Gulf Times, saw Heritage Police Officers using stick-like instruments to herd labourers away from cordoned areas along Grand Hamad Avenue. When one officer was asked why such force was being used he replied: “They are not allowed inside this family area.” He then explained that whips were being employed “because they do not understand”.
Although policemen usually patrol the Grand Hamad area on Fridays, they tend to be plainclothes officers who do not carry weapons such as those on show yesterday. Shockingly, Gulf Times saw one officer using his whip on five separate occasions within a ten-minute period, even running to catch people before hitting them. Other appalled witnesses said they had seen labourers being kicked by the officers if they did not move quickly enough to exactly where they were told.Bachelors have long been turned away from this particular souq area at weekends, with policemen citing it as a “family only” area. However, yesterday there were no families on view at all with almost every person there being a single male.
As on previous occasions reported by this newspaper, there appeared to be a very clear distinction made between Western, Arab and Asian bachelors, with the first two groups being allowed total access to wherever they wanted to walk – unlike the Asians who were subjected to shouting and physical abuse in some cases.
One Asian man who was attempting to walk through the street that had been cordoned off by police said that he was “very angry” that he had been denied access, claiming that the police were “simply hitting people”. However, another man said it was not too much of a problem, explaining that “if you tell the police where you are intending to go then they will usually allow you to pass and go there”.
As one might expect following such a hostile reaction to the influx of labourers in the area looking for something to do during their Eid vacation, yesterday’s atmosphere was incredibly tense with some passers-by left stunned and visibly disgusted by what they were witnessing.
Over at the Corniche, there were fewer crowds and security guards were posted at regular intervals around the perimeter of the Rumailah Park, which has also been designated as “for families only”. However, there were a number of men being prevented from getting onto the Corniche itself.
Further away from the park, towards the Movenpick Hotel, there were a few gatherings of bachelors sitting and relaxing on their day off.On the roads behind Rumailah Park more bachelors had congregated looking for an empty patch of grass to sit on in order to pass their time with friends. In some cases, the traffic police prevented more people from stopping and told them to move on.
With shopping malls also denying bachelors access over the Eid holidays, it is getting increasingly hard for Asian labourers to find any place within Doha where they are welcome – away from their worksites and labour accommodation, that is.
Although policemen usually patrol the Grand Hamad area on Fridays, they tend to be plainclothes officers who do not carry weapons such as those on show yesterday. Shockingly, Gulf Times saw one officer using his whip on five separate occasions within a ten-minute period, even running to catch people before hitting them. Other appalled witnesses said they had seen labourers being kicked by the officers if they did not move quickly enough to exactly where they were told.Bachelors have long been turned away from this particular souq area at weekends, with policemen citing it as a “family only” area. However, yesterday there were no families on view at all with almost every person there being a single male.
As on previous occasions reported by this newspaper, there appeared to be a very clear distinction made between Western, Arab and Asian bachelors, with the first two groups being allowed total access to wherever they wanted to walk – unlike the Asians who were subjected to shouting and physical abuse in some cases.
One Asian man who was attempting to walk through the street that had been cordoned off by police said that he was “very angry” that he had been denied access, claiming that the police were “simply hitting people”. However, another man said it was not too much of a problem, explaining that “if you tell the police where you are intending to go then they will usually allow you to pass and go there”.
As one might expect following such a hostile reaction to the influx of labourers in the area looking for something to do during their Eid vacation, yesterday’s atmosphere was incredibly tense with some passers-by left stunned and visibly disgusted by what they were witnessing.
Over at the Corniche, there were fewer crowds and security guards were posted at regular intervals around the perimeter of the Rumailah Park, which has also been designated as “for families only”. However, there were a number of men being prevented from getting onto the Corniche itself.
Further away from the park, towards the Movenpick Hotel, there were a few gatherings of bachelors sitting and relaxing on their day off.On the roads behind Rumailah Park more bachelors had congregated looking for an empty patch of grass to sit on in order to pass their time with friends. In some cases, the traffic police prevented more people from stopping and told them to move on.
With shopping malls also denying bachelors access over the Eid holidays, it is getting increasingly hard for Asian labourers to find any place within Doha where they are welcome – away from their worksites and labour accommodation, that is.
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Posted by: nina | October 11, 2008 10:26 AM
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