"Death to Al Sa`ud" Chants by Thousands in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province: A Game Changer?

[This post will be updated and further corroborated in the coming days]

Saudi security forces have killed at least three people in al Qatif, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia,  since the killing of nineteen-year-old Naser al-Mheishi during confrontations with security forces at a road block in the Shweika district on Sunday 20 November 2011. Ali al-Filfil, twenty-four, was killed during a protest on Monday, while Ali Abdullah Al Qreires, twenty-six, and Munib al-Sayyid Al Adnan, twenty, were killed during a mass protest on Wednesday 23 November.  Protests in this predominantly Shi`i region evolved after  Sunday's shooting. Thousands swarmed the streets calling for the "Death to Al Sa`ud" (i.e., death to the Saudi royal family).

One can speculate as to the significance of this incident, but it does not seem that it will be the last, nor an anecdotal incident. Discontent in some provinces in Saudi Arabia, notably the Shi`i dominated Eastern Province, have been brewing for some time as a result of living conditions, other forms of discrimination, and demands to release prisoners of conscience.

Reporting from Saudi Arabia is thin, but we will keep you posted.

[Please note: the video says "million" but we are not making this claim]