Friday, Aug. 12, 2011
Defiantly Driving in Saudi Arabia
Not all protesters chant and carry signs: in June 2011 a few dozen women in Saudi Arabia defiantly demonstrated with their cars. While driving might not seem that radical, these women risked arrest when they got behind the wheel — Saudi Arabia is the last remaining country in the world that forbids women from driving. The campaign was mainly organized through social media and although there was no photo-op gathering, the protest garnered worldwide attention. Though this isn't the first time Saudi women have directly protested the ban — a group in 1990 had a similar strategy — the latest efforts seem to have made headway. One woman was pulled over by the authorities and instead of arresting her, the officer issued her a traffic ticket.