Six Flags, a US company that is the world’s largest theme park operator, has unveiled designs to open an amusement park in the Saudi Arabian city of Qiddiya. While the Saudi Six Flags park is scheduled to open in 2023, Saudi Arabia’s thrill-seeking is in stark contrast to efforts by Yemeni citizens and Saudi activists to secure basic rights for themselves and their children, including the right not to die before the age of five from starvation due to Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen.
Six Flags Qiddiya is slated to have 12 record-breaking rides and attractions throughout six themed areas, including what will be the longest, tallest, fastest roller coaster in the world. Enjoying roller coasters and merry-go-rounds is exactly what children should be doing but, because of the Saudi blockade and bombings of Yemen, children there don’t even have enough to eat. Since 2015, around 85,000 children in Yemen under the age of five have died from malnutrition due to the Saudi-led war. Inside Saudi Arabia, there are traumatized children of imprisoned Saudi women activists. Rather than dream of Six Flags rides, they yearn for their mothers to be freed from detention and torture.
Last fall we launched our strategic “Boycott Saudi” campaign. It's been less than a year and already we’ve had numerous successes.
- In October 2018, we—along with a broad coalition—convinced dozens of companies and notables, including the New York Times, the CEO of Uber, and the head of the World Bank, to pull out of the Saudi Future Investment Initiative.
- In July 2019, singer Nicki Minaj canceled her performance in Saudi Arabia, citing concerns about the treatment of women, the LGBTQ community, and freedom of expression after we launched a petition asking her to not perform in Saudi Arabia.
- In March 2019, talent agent Endeavor returned a $400 million investment from Saudi Arabia in protest of the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
- Five PR firms—Glover Park Group, BGR Group, Harbour Group, CGCN Group, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutche—that represented the Saudi regime have dropped Saudi Arabia as a client.
Sign our petition to Six Flags asking them to reverse their decision to open an amusement park in Saudi Arabia!
Towards peace in the Middle East,
Ann, Ariel, Caroline, Carley, Clara, Jodie, Maya, Mark, Medea, Megan, Nancy, Paki, Ryan, Rose, Teri, Tighe, Ursula, and Zena
P.S. Want to travel with CODEPINK? Sign up now for our December 2019 citizen diplomacy delegation to Cuba.
