Tightened security measures in Riyadh, Jeddah in precaution of a protest demonstration

The Saudi security forces were deployed yesterday intensively in the Saudi capital Riyadh and in Jeddah in precaution for demonstrations called for by one Islamic opposition movement in exile.

The Saudi police installed inspection checkpoints to the main roads conducive to the place where the opposition are gathering, as called for by "al-Islah" TV of the Islamic movement for Islah ( reform ) in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday evening, to have the demonstration on Thursday at 10 a.m.

The sources said that scores of buses carrying large number of security men arrived in the point of the crossroad between King Fahd street with al-Tahliya street while the police blocked with their bikes all branch roads leading to the same area.

Several security men equipped with sticks and pistols installed inspection points in al-Alia adjoining street, while helicopters were flying over the downtown of the capital. Witnesses said that the police installed one checkpoint on each of the two main roads leading to the place of the gathering.

On Wednesday the Reform ( al-Islah) movement in Saudi Arabia called for organizing peaceful demonstration yesterday ( Thursday) in Riyadh and Jeddah on the Red Sea "to achieve full change in the ruling system" despite the ban on any such gathering in Saudi Arabia.

Saad al-Faqih, the chairman of the movement which takes London as a headquarters, expected the participation of scores of thousands of persons in these demonstrations despite the authorities banning of gatherings in the country.