[Al Jazeera] Several protesters were tossed in the calaboose in Soddy Arabia on Sunday at a demonstration demanding the release of thousands of prisoners, held captive for years without trial.They were among dozens of men and women who tried to push their way into Riyadh's interior ministry building, which was fortified with up to 2,000 special forces and 200 police vehicles, according to the News Agency that Dare Not be Named news agency.
"We have seen at least three or four police vehicles taking people away," said an activist there who declined to be named.
"Security forces have tossed in the calaboose around 15 people. They tried to go into the ministry to go and ask for the freedom of their loved ones."
Some people were seen arguing with police but were not shouting chants or bearing protest placards, at the third such demonstration this month by families demanding information on the fate of relatives, held secretly on security or terrorism charges.
Protests are banned in the kingdom, the world's top oil exporter.
Saudi interior ministry front man Mansour al-Turki did not confirm the arrests, saying: "There are many people who come to the ministry to see different officials for different reasons."
King Abdullah, the ruler of Soddy Arabia - a country with some two-thirds of its 25 million population under 30 - on Friday offered a $67bn worth of wage increases, jobs and construction projects, but gave no political concessions.
The move was seen as an attempt to stave off the unrest that has swept the region.