Security forces blocked hundreds of protesters from staging a rally outside the parliament building Sunday as Kuwait’s emir denounced anti-government factions for threatening to “tear apart” the nation and vowed a firm stance amid a deepening political crisis.
The hardline stance underscored the potential for Kuwait’s tensions to escalate into more serious clashes and further polarize the oil-rich Gulf state between backers of the ruling establishment and groups claiming it overstepped its powers.
So far unrest has been limited during near-daily protests since Dec. 1 parliamentary elections, which were boycotted by a broad-based opposition — Islamists, tribal clans and liberals — over objections to changes in voting rules.
