University Cultural Festival Disrupted

News reports indicate that a group of men interrupted a performance of
Wusta Bila Wasatiya (the Middle Path), a play exploring the middle path between hedonism and fundamentalism, at Al Yanamah College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The men attacked students performing the play as well as audience members. Several students were injured before police were able to stop the assaults. The men reportedly attempted to enter the women's section, but found it locked. The college started as a men's school, but recently added a women's program.
While the motives of the assailants are unknown, it is speculated that they object to tolerance. This incident should be of great interest to everyone, but especially to university students who are often on the leading edge of positive social change. Freedom of expression is often most appreciated in the academic environment, so an assault on free speech at a college is especially ominous.
The international community needs to respond to this attack and to monitor news to identify similar disruptions in the area to be sure international human rights law is observed. International law protection of freedom of speech is summarized in this human rights report.