Uncivilized behavior spoils joy of national holidays; 200 suffer eye injuries

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KUWAIT CITY, Feb 28: The celebrations during national holidays were unfortunate because of reckless behavior by some participants who not only disturbed passers-by and exposed them to danger, using pistols and water balloons, which caused injuries to about 200 people many of them eye injuries, particularly motorists who were caught unaware, according to health sources. The Al-Qabas daily quoting health sources said most of the injuries were related to eyes causing by the throwing on water-filled balloons and even some pelted stones in what can be termed a pure case of vandalism.

The uncivilized behavior has met with public and parliamentary resentment and widespread criticism from human rights activists, who consider the recurrence of these acts annually is evidence of the absence of planning and administrative and organizational failure, in addition to moral and ethical imbalance and lack of deterrence. Among the most prominent uncivilized manifestations, which Al-Qabas monitored on the ground, was disturbing families with water pistols and terrorizing people with children and teenagers throwing balloons filled with water and pelting stones at cars, and the unfortunate scene culminated in the accumulation of garbage, and the evidence of this is that the Municipality collected about 140 tons of waste that the celebrants left behind in the streets. Health sources told the daily the emergency departments in hospitals received the injured in their eyes, and some of them were treated at the sites, noting that the balloons and water sprayers used by children and adolescents were ‘fired’ from close distances towards pedestrians or vehicles drivers, which caused direct and serious eye injuries, and that resulted in many of them being rushed to hospitals.

The Eye Departments Council in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ahmed Al-Foudari told Al-Qabas that the ophthalmology departments in the various hospitals of the ministry received many patients. He revealed that 36 corneal abrasions, internal bleeding and bruising cases were recorded at the Muhammad AbdulRahman Al-Bahr Eye Center from Friday morning to Saturday evening, and 18 corneal abrasions, a cut wound in the eyebrow and a trauma in the retina, in Farwaniya Hospital, and 21 corneal abrasions in Farwaniya Hospital, Al-Adan 5 similar injuries in Al-Jahra Hospital, and 8 in Jaber Hospital during the same period. In addition, deputies expressed their regret at “reckless behavior that is not appropriate for the civilized face of the country, and indicates an administrative and organizational failure.”

The whole Arabian Gulf Street was filled with children who stood guard armed with their water-filled balloons and water pistols during the holidays – an annoying act that is repeated at every celebration of the National and Liberation Days. The children usually use water balloons and pistols targeting cars – an uncivilized behavior that spoils the national celebration every year. Although the Ministry of Interior put up a security fence to prevent pedestrians from moving on the roads, this did not deter unruly children who deliberately sprayed water inside vehicles. Some people took advantage of the national holidays to sell waterfilled balloons and water pistols – KD10 for 100 balloons and KD2 for a water pistol.

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