Saudi police arrest 14-year-old boy for dancing the Macarena
Saudi police announced on Tuesday that they had arrested a 14-year-old boy who appeared in a viral video dancing on a main road in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh.
Police spokesman colonel Ati bin Atiya al-Qarshi said that the "accused" had been arrested after relevant evidence had been gathered and "confidential investigations" had been completed.
The video appears to show the boy doing the Macarena, a mid-1990s' dance phenomenon, while standing in front of a row of cars on a crossing on Riyadh's Prince Mohamed bin Abdulaziz Road.
The boy is seen dancing in the middle of a four-lane road and appearing to stop traffic.
The video first appeared online in 2016, but was later removed.
Social media users had taken the video, which resurfaced on social media last week, in good humour.
Translation: He's like a dancing marshmallow
As the news of his arrest was revealed, users expressed their surprise
A couple of users agreed with his arrest
Earlier this month, a Saudi entertainer was arrested by Saudi authorities for "dabbing," a popular dance move, at a concert in the country's western city of Taif.
This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
