Omani forces on Tuesday dispersed protesters who were blocking the port in the Sohar industrial city and the coastal road to the capital Muscat, AFP reported. The move went peacefully and Omani forces drove away demonstrators.
It came a day after the United States called on Oman's leaders to show restraint and press ahead with reforms. The security forces initially pushed away protesters from the main coastal highway that links Muscat to Sohar, 200 kilometres northwest from the capital. But demonstrators continued to deploy trucks blocking access from the Sohar port, to nearby aluminium and petrochemical factories, the report added.
The protesters held up signs demanding jobs and wage increases and also called for ministers who they accuse of corruption to be put on trial.
Protests were also reported on Tuesday in the southern port of Salalah and the northwestern oasis region of Buraimi. In Salalah, about 200 people protested outside the office of the governor of Dhofar province, demanding an increase in wages and benefits, while dozens of protesters staged a similar rally in Buraimi.
