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Groups of Asian single men were beaten with whips and kicked during a police operation to prevent them from entering Doha’s popular souq areas on Wednesday, Qatar daily the Gulf Times reported.
Heritage Police Officers used stick-like instruments to herd labourers away from cordoned areas along Grand Hamad Avenue, the paper said on Thursday.
When one officer was asked why such force was being used, the paper said he replied: “They are not allowed inside this family area.” He then explained that whips were being employed “because they do not understand”.
Although policemen usually patrol the Grand Hamad area on Fridays, they tend to be plainclothes officers who do not carry weapons such as those used on Wednesday, the paper said.
The Gulf Times reported one officer using his whip on five separate occasions within a ten-minute period, even running to catch people before hitting them.
Other appalled witnesses said they had seen labourers being kicked by the officers if they did not move quickly enough.
Single men have long been turned away from this particular souq area at weekends, with policemen citing it as a “family only” area, it added.
The paper commented that on at least one previous occasion, there appeared to be a very clear distinction made between Western, Arab and Asian bachelors, with the first two groups being allowed unlimited access while Asians who were subjected to shouting and physical abuse in some cases.
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/532868-qatar-police-use-whips-and-sticks-on-asian-labourers-?ln=en
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