Saudi Crown Prince London Visit to be Marred by Protests Over Yemen War Crimes

Controversial Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to arrive in London on Wednesday but the visit will be marred by protests against Saudi war crimes in Yemen.

According to reports, a coalition of UK-based human rights groups say protests will be held in London against bin Salman’s visit which has elicited opposition from many groups.

The coalition has planned demonstrations outside the prime minister’s residence in Downing Street for when Theresa May meets Mohammed bin Salman, who is on his first official foreign tour as heir to the throne.

Rights campaigners including the Campaign Against Arms Trade have denounced the visit due to Riyadh’s human rights record and the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen.

Ten groups plan on taking part in the protests, including the Stop the War Coalition and Organization for Human Rights in the UK.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of people in Britain are joining a petition that has already garnered thousands of signatures to show their strong opposition to a visit to their country by Bin Salman.

The 32-year-old inexperienced prince landed in Egypt on Sunday afternoon and will fly off to the United Kingdom on Wednesday and then the United States.

The petition, which has garnered thousands of signatures at the UK Government and Parliament site, called on the Prime Minister to withdraw the invitation for the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the chief architect of the ongoing Riyadh bombardment and blockade of Yemen, to visit the UK.

The petition stresses that the Riyadh regime has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Torture and arbitrary detention are widely documented, while in 2017 alone, over 100 people were executed in the Middle East country, it says.

The petition reminds the Saudi regime has supported repression in Bahrain, where its military has intervened to clamp down on peaceful protests since 2011, adding that the lives of people in Bahrain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia are more important than arms sales.

In mid-March 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown, as Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. Also, the Saudi King’s son, the first in line to the throne, is the head of the Riyadh deadly campaign against Yemen which has created the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.