After being filmed performing the dance in a crosswalk, a 14-year-old has run afoul of authorities
Saudi a 14-year-old boy for “improper public behavior” after a viral video of him dancing in a crosswalk surfaced online. The video shows the unnamed teenager wearing earphones and dancing the “Macarena” — a dance associated with the 1990s pop hit of the same name — in the middle of a crosswalk in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Given that the boy temporarily stopped cars from moving through the crosswalk, he is also being detained for impeding traffic. Initially, social-media users in Saudi Arabia and across the globe hailed the teen’s public dance online. For some, it was an example of simple, innocent fun. Others may have interpreted it as somewhat of a minor stand against the culturally and religiously conservative regime of the Muslim monarchical state. Apparently, the viral success of the video came to the attention of authorities, who have taken the boy into custody. It is not clear if the investigation will result in formal charges or if the unnamed, unseen person who filmed the video is also in detention or being sought by authorities.
