freepalestine
20th August 2010, 15:52
PCHR Condemns Police's Attack on Public Sit-in Organized by PFLP in Gaza City
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The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the attack carried out by the Palestinian police on a public sit-in organized by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in the Unknown Soldier Square in the center of Gaza City. The sit-in was organized yesterday in protest to the continued electricity crisis. PCHR calls upon the government in Gaza to respect public freedoms, and stresses that the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of opinion and expression are ensured under the Palestinian basic law and the international human rights standards.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 18:30 on Tuesday, 10 August 2010, the PFLP organized a sit-in in the Unknown Soldier Square in the center of Gaza City, in protest against the continued electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip. The number of participants was approximately 500, including leaders and members of the PFLP in Gaza. The participants raised signs calling upon the governments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to find a solution for this crisis affecting the Gaza Strip's population. At approximately 20:00, the Palestinian police arrived and requested the participants to leave the area and end the sit-in, claiming that the sit-in was not licensed by the police. The PFLP's members refused to leave the area and insisted on continuing their activities according to the program prepared in advance. However, the Palestinian police called backups, fired in the air and attacked dozens of participants by gun butts and clubs. Many of the participants were transported to hospitals for medical treatment. The ones identified are:
1) Abdul Rahman al-Majdalawi;
2) Fayez Abu Ali;
3) Ayman Farahat;
4) Nabeel Barakat;
5) Sarah al-Saifi;
6) Ahmed 'Aziza;
7) Mohammed Abu 'Oun;
8) Abdullah Hejazi;
9) Ahmed al-Ajrami;
10) Waleed Abu Rokba;
11) Soheil Salman;
12) Atallah al-'Amawi; and
13) Amjad Jouda.
It should be noted that PFLP followed all legal measures needed for organizing the sit-in. In his testimony to PCHR, Mr. Jameel Mezher, the Spokesperson of the PFLP, stated that on 5 August 2010, the PFLP sent a letter to the police chief, informing him of the time and place of the sit-in in accordance with the provisions of Public Meetings Law #12 of 1998. On 9 August 2010, a day before the sit-in, the police informed the leadership of the PFLP of rejecting the sit-in.
In light of the above, PCHR:
1) Strongly condemns the use of force by the police to disperse the sit-in, which was called for by the PFLP, and emphasizes that civilians have the full and legitimate right to organize public meetings, sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations according to legal regulations.
2) Emphasizes that the police has no right to license or reject any public meeting, or peaceful demonstrations, or any other type of peaceful assembly, and that the law provides that organizers should only "inform" the governor or police, as the police has the right to take measures to "organize the traffic".
3) Is concerned over the recurrence of such attacks on the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly, and confirms that these rights are ensured under the basic law and the international human rights standards.
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6907:pchr-condemns-polices-attack-on-public-sit-in-organized-by-pflp-in-gaza-city-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194
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The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the attack carried out by the Palestinian police on a public sit-in organized by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in the Unknown Soldier Square in the center of Gaza City. The sit-in was organized yesterday in protest to the continued electricity crisis. PCHR calls upon the government in Gaza to respect public freedoms, and stresses that the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of opinion and expression are ensured under the Palestinian basic law and the international human rights standards.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 18:30 on Tuesday, 10 August 2010, the PFLP organized a sit-in in the Unknown Soldier Square in the center of Gaza City, in protest against the continued electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip. The number of participants was approximately 500, including leaders and members of the PFLP in Gaza. The participants raised signs calling upon the governments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to find a solution for this crisis affecting the Gaza Strip's population. At approximately 20:00, the Palestinian police arrived and requested the participants to leave the area and end the sit-in, claiming that the sit-in was not licensed by the police. The PFLP's members refused to leave the area and insisted on continuing their activities according to the program prepared in advance. However, the Palestinian police called backups, fired in the air and attacked dozens of participants by gun butts and clubs. Many of the participants were transported to hospitals for medical treatment. The ones identified are:
1) Abdul Rahman al-Majdalawi;
2) Fayez Abu Ali;
3) Ayman Farahat;
4) Nabeel Barakat;
5) Sarah al-Saifi;
6) Ahmed 'Aziza;
7) Mohammed Abu 'Oun;
8) Abdullah Hejazi;
9) Ahmed al-Ajrami;
10) Waleed Abu Rokba;
11) Soheil Salman;
12) Atallah al-'Amawi; and
13) Amjad Jouda.
It should be noted that PFLP followed all legal measures needed for organizing the sit-in. In his testimony to PCHR, Mr. Jameel Mezher, the Spokesperson of the PFLP, stated that on 5 August 2010, the PFLP sent a letter to the police chief, informing him of the time and place of the sit-in in accordance with the provisions of Public Meetings Law #12 of 1998. On 9 August 2010, a day before the sit-in, the police informed the leadership of the PFLP of rejecting the sit-in.
In light of the above, PCHR:
1) Strongly condemns the use of force by the police to disperse the sit-in, which was called for by the PFLP, and emphasizes that civilians have the full and legitimate right to organize public meetings, sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations according to legal regulations.
2) Emphasizes that the police has no right to license or reject any public meeting, or peaceful demonstrations, or any other type of peaceful assembly, and that the law provides that organizers should only "inform" the governor or police, as the police has the right to take measures to "organize the traffic".
3) Is concerned over the recurrence of such attacks on the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly, and confirms that these rights are ensured under the basic law and the international human rights standards.
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6907:pchr-condemns-polices-attack-on-public-sit-in-organized-by-pflp-in-gaza-city-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194