The Stream

Saudi parking lot harassment video goes viral

Questions raised over video of young men harassing women outside mall in Eastern Saudi Arabia.

Videos reportedly out of Saudi Arabia are circulating online showing men harassing a group of women in a mall parking lot said to be in the eastern city of Dhahran. The men heckle and follow the women, one of whom responds by kicking a man who grabbed her.

The incident touched a nerve online. Many condemned the men’s behaviour, while others debated if the women could have avoided harassment. 

Saudis online are using the hashtag #تحرش_شباب_بفتيات_بالشرقية (“Youth harassment of girls in Eastern province”), which was mentioned more than 60,000 times in a day.