Saudi women defy driving ban in online photos, video clips

RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi women’s rights activists posted online photographs and video clips of themselves defying a ban on female driving on Thursday, two days after members of the influential Shoura Council called for an end to the prohibition.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are barred from driving, but debate about the ban, once confined to the private sphere and social media, is increasingly spreading to public forums too.

There is no specific law to prevent women from driving in the kingdom, but they cannot apply for driving licences and have previously been arrested on charges relating to public order or political protest after getting behind the wheel.

The photos and footage showed various women driving on busy streets in the capital Riyadh. One clip, dated Wednesday, showed a woman driving in the traditional veil, with only her eyes showing, as other motorists slowed and gave a thumbs-up sign.

Read the rest of the story at Reuters.com.

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