Thread by @pmillerinfo

A protester in Salalah holds a sign saying: "From Dhofar to Sohar". He is showing solidarity with activists in a city 850km away from him. There is dissent at both ends of Oman

Omani police jeeps and coaches speed through Salalah. Are we about to see another crackdown? The coaches could be carrying extra riot police and/or they will take lots of protesters to prison

Oman, tonight. Protesters calling for an end to corruption. Behind them is the clock tower in Salalah, so they are marching near to a major Omani air force and army signals base

It's nearly 10pm in Oman now. Looks like protesters may have reached Celebration Square in Salalah

Oman's police appear to have posted a warning to Whatsapp admins telling them not to share anything about the police or army, and claiming all social media is under surveillance

Bloomberg and others are reporting that Oman is releasing the protesters who were arrested in Sohar, but I don't have full details yet. Note: This is a common tactic in Oman - pardoning protesters, especially if they promise not to protest again

Despite the Omani regime releasing prisoners late last night, protests are continuing for a third day in Oman

I understand there have been protests this morning in 8 different towns and cities across Oman, which is almost unprecedented. I will start posting videos from those demonstrations again

Some of the largest protests have been in Sohar, where crowds have gathered by the underpass and riot police are at the scene

Omani protesters are now staging a sit-in below the underpass in Sohar

This video from about 45 minutes ago shows the crowd approaching the underpass in Sohar. This is the site of the old Globe Roundabout (since demolished) which was a centre of Arab Spring protests in Oman

I understand protesters also gathered in Ibri, north west Oman, this morning. Video from around 10.45 local time

Salalah seems to have been the first city to start protesting this morning, with young men gathering to demonstrate against unemployment, which is a major issue in Oman and one of the sparks for this wave of mobilisations

This video from about 30 minutes ago in Sohar appears to show protesters running from police and stones being thrown

Yesterday we saw videos of Omani army armoured vehicles and the police sand-coloured jeeps in or around Sohar. This morning people filmed navy blue/black armoured police vehicles driving through the streets of Sohar

Here's another look at the protesters in Sohar who are being followed by the riot police

It's after noon now in Oman and there's a mixed picture in Sohar. Riot police allowed some protesters to pray and even handed out water in some places, whereas other videos show protesters being chased around

Some people are asking me again why I'm covering the protests in Oman which are an "internal affair". Oman's riot police and army are trained and armed by Britain+some military units are even staffed with British officers. British military bases are growing in Oman, not reducing

More scenes of protesters jogging as riot police vehicles follow them in Sohar about 10 minutes ago

Omani protesters cheering beneath the underpass in Sohar

Oman is seeing some of its largest protests since the Arab Spring, while the head of Britain's air force is hanging out with his "great friends" from Oman's air force (which includes British pilots)

It's worth remembering how much public order training Oman has received from the UK. Here's a letter about it from the Police Service of Northern Ireland which I obtained in 2017. @JohnODowdSF @johnfinucane @darraghmackin

Protesters pray at sunset in Sohar

There have been protests in at least nine towns and cities across Oman today

Britain's Foreign Office just told @declassifiedUK: "The UK urges all countries to uphold the rule of law. We are aware of demonstrations in Oman and are monitoring the situation closely." Early versions of statement mistakenly said "all counties" 😂 - Oman is not part of the UK!

Note that this statement effectively gives Oman's security forces a green light to crack down. Under Oman's Basic Law, any "associations whose activities are inimical to social order" are illegal. So upholding the "rule of law" in Oman means arresting protesters

Protests continue in Oman this morning. This was the scene at 9.50am under the bridge in Sohar, which was a hub for the Arab Spring

📸| @AliHilal__

Protesters in Sohar are on the move, as Omani people march for a fourth day in a row

Lively scenes in Sur this morning, on the eastern tip of Oman, with protesters shouting "Losers - corrupt" at police who are pushing them away

BREAKING Protests have reached Musandam, the northern most tip of Oman where there's a separatist movement. A Musandam activist tells @declassifiedUK the area is "like a military camp" and in 2018 protesters were given life sentences for merely talking about human rights issues

I've written an article for @declassifiedUK about the protests taking place in Oman over the last three days - and which are still going on - dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-0…

And I've made a quick video showing the protests in Oman which are the largest there since the Arab Spring

BREAKING Omani police are firing tear gas at protesters in Sohar - for the second time in four days

Since Sunday, there's been an unprecedented wave of protests in Oman, the largest to sweep the Gulf state since the Arab Spring of 2011. Protesters are facing UK-trained riot police. Here's my fully updated video report for @declassifiedUK

A resident in Khasab, Musandam talks to an Omani government official this morning about riot police violating their privacy by constantly standing outside their homes or doing raids without a warrant. Musandam is believed to contain a GCHQ (British intelligence) base

For advice on cyber security, particularly for those in Oman right now, please see these resources from @infosec_bytes

BREAKING Since our story this morning, @declassifiedUK can now confirm UK-made tear gas is being fired at protesters in Oman. Looks like it was made in 2012 by PW Defence Ltd in Derby. They told me Chemring owned their company then. Chemring not immediately available for comment

The Sultan of Oman owns several private jets which cost his people millions. One of his Gulfstream jets, which could have cost $60million, returned from Spain on Monday afternoon, as the protests against unemployment and corruption in Oman were escalating uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/A4…

There appear to be fresh protests in Nizwa today

More scenes from Nizwa, filmed earlier today, as protests passed the fort. Interesting to see what happens in Nizwa, which historically was independent from the Sultans in Muscat. I believe the RAF bombed Nizwa fort in the 1950s to suppress an uprising

Omani police appear to have plenty of riot vehicles parked in Nizwa

Chemring has just sent me the following statement in response to pictures showing their tear gas being used on protesters in Oman

I understand there are fresh protests in Salalah this evening, as the 4th day of demonstrations in Oman continues

I understand there were protests in Haima this morning in Oman. If you have more details please share. Haima is 150km from Duqm, where there is a British navy base

#هيماء_تنتفض

The protests in Salalah tonight are the largest so far, I understand

Earlier today in Salalah protesters chanted: "Where is the oil and gas?" For decades, British energy companies have taken a big cut of Oman's oil wealth

I'm hearing that major reinforcements of special police were sent into Sohar and there are now roadblocks around the city. This video from earlier today shows a man being chased by Omani riot police outside the Nesto hypermarket

For the last 50 years, Oman's Sultans stayed in power by bribing people to join the state security forces whenever there's unrest. In the 1970s, groups in Dhofar were paid to fight against their friends. In 2011, 10,000 new police jobs were made. Now this:

Last night the Sultan promised to hire 2,000 more Omanis in the public sector to tackle unemployment. Now Oman's military is being ordered to recruit more people. Oman already has one of the most bloated military budgets in the world. These tactics just add to national debt

I understand Omani forces have mostly stamped out the protests in Sohar for tonight. It's unclear how many have been arrested. However the demonstrations continue elsewhere - including in a new city, Bidiyah, in eastern Oman

This appears to be footage from the Omani protesters in Bidiyah this evening #بدية_الان #بدية_تستجيب

Looks like very large numbers of Omani riot police are in Bidiyah tonight

This is another video which appears to show a very large column of Omani riot police marching through Bidiyah around 1 o'clock in the morning local time

Oman enters its 5th day of protests. Its mostly been young men on the streets so far but reports say a group of women are now protesting outside the General Directorate of Land and Housing in Salalah #صلاله_الان

This group of women in Salalah are protesting against unemployment, corruption and land decisions. I hear women in other cities in Oman want to protest too but have so far been afraid to come out on the streets. Men were arrested yesterday especially in Sohar - not clear how many

This video appears to show there are no Omani protesters under the bridge in Sohar this morning, and instead armoured police vehicles have occupied the space

More footage from the women in Salalah, Oman, who say they are protesting against unfair decisions by the housing ministry which deny them the right to acquire land. #صلاله_الان

Their signs call for the Sultan's wife to stand with Omani women + help return their land. Another says “I have the right to get residential land in my country #Dhofar”. Also calls for planning/housing minister to annul decision + "No to corruption, yes to justice and change”

One reason I've been reposting so many images of the protests in Oman is that there are almost no photos on the news wires. Nothing on EPA, Getty/AFP or Reuters as far as I can see. Don't have access to AP

I was told that these photos show Omani men were arrested yesterday in Marmul where they protested outside the office of the state oil firm PDO, which is 34% owned by Shell. I contacted both companies last night but neither have confirmed yet. Please share more info if available

BREAKING Fresh protests are confirmed to have started in Salalah about an hour ago, around 6pm Oman time. These follow on from the women's protest there earlier today. The men are chanting 'where is the gas and oil' and also about jobs

#صلاله_الان

Despite the crackdown by Omani special police in Sohar last night, a small group of protesters gathered about an hour ago. They chant: 'Oh Monarch, we are your citizens. Hey officers, go out + listen what we are demanding. Our protest is peaceful, will remain peaceful.'

Here's a closer look at the situation in Sohar earlier today, around 2pm, with Omani riot police and special task force guarding the space under the bridge which was at the centre of protests earlier in the week

Looks like Omani authorities are planning another crackdown, especially on social media accounts sharing stuff about the protests. Get advice on your cyber security here @infosec_bytes

Some updates from overnight in Oman. The hashtag Freedom for Abdulaziz Al-Balushi (#الحريه_لعبدالعزيز_البلوشي) is trending after the prominent protester was arrested. This is a picture of him under the bridge in Sohar

Omani twitter bots attacked the account of an influential youth activist, Alwi (@alwi_999), sparking a solidarity campaign with him

There is some footage circulating on social media which apparently shows well armoured Omani security forces arresting protesters as they were camped out in Salalah during the night. Grateful for more details if possible #صلاله_الآن

I understand around 30 of the protesters who were arrested during the night in Salalah have now been released

A second group of protesters was arrested this morning in Salalah, despite the first group being released

So far Shell (@Shell) is refusing to comment on claims that people were arrested earlier this week for protesting in Oman outside a facility of which it owns 34%. Shell also won't comment on Omani protesters chanting "Where is the gas and oil?"

It is being reported that Omani protester Abdulaziz Al-Balushi has now been released

An update on that second group of young protesters who were arrested by Omani police in Salalah this morning - almost all of them have now been released after tribal leaders petitioned the prison. Begs the question - why were they arrested in the first place?

A common tactic the Omani authorities use to stay in power is to mass arrest protesters and then release them if they sign a statement promising not to protest or speak out again

Prisoner releases appear to be continuing in Oman, including Saeed Al-Omari who was seen holding the sign in this video while protesting peacefully in Salalah earlier in the week #الحريه_لسعيد_العمري