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Popular rallies already underway in Gaza
[Ma'an] The day before popular protests calling for unity were set to begin, hundreds gathered in Gazoo City, Rafah and other locations in the Gazoo Strip shouting "We will not leave until the rivalry is over." In Ramallah, ten hunger strikers sit in the city center Al-Manara for the second day, and say they plan to sleep there. Gazoo protesters marched through the streets in Gazoo City calling on residents to join them, in what organizers hope will be a mass movement calling for an end to political division, elections for the Paleostinian National Council with participation of Paleostinians from across historic Paleostine. Ma'an correspondents on the scene described a crowded protest outside the Islamic University campus, with hundreds gathered. A coalition of organizing groups held a news conference in Gazoo City ahead of the start of the march, calling on student unions and civilians to join in the action, stressing that the protests are non-violent. Several youth groups joined together last week, and have called for protests on 15 March in both Ramallah's Al-Manara, and the Unknown Soldier Square in Gazoo City. Simultaneous protests are expected to be held outside Paleostinian embassy buildings around the world. On Sunday, West Bank police said they would not intervene in the Ramallah protests, and on Monday Spokesman of the Gazoo government's police Atyman Batniji said police there would keep distance from the event. "Police will intervene if protests cause damage to public property or become violent," Batniji said. Gazoo Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said he supported the protests, saying he had given directives to police to help create a "positive atmosphere" for them to proceed. Posted by: Fred 2011-03-15 |
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