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freepalestine
27th August 2010, 13:32
Palestinian Authority intelligence forces shut down conference against negotiations in Ramallah

Palestinian Authority intelligence and police forces attacked, interrupted and shut down a Palestinian national conference against participation in direct negotiations with Israel in Ramallah on August 25, 2010. Organized by Palestinian political parties, independent figures and human rights organizations, the conference was convened in order to denounce the negotiations, to be held under the auspices of the U.S. government, as dangerous to the Palestinian national cause.

The meeting was held simultaneously a conference in Gaza City, where officials of various Palestinian parties also denounced te negotiations. Comrade Khalida Jarrar, member of the Political Bureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, spoke with Ma'an News at the conference, saying that participants in the meeting were confronted by Palestinian Authority (PA) forces in civilian uniform, who "attempted to thwart the event from the start, chanting slogans and leading event participants towards the center of Ramallah." Plainclothes security forces shouted loudly, disrupting the event, taking participants outside the hall, and preventing the news conference from continuing.

"We aimed to voice our dissent, and the PA decided to enter the conference hall and drag participants out to an unplanned rally," said Comrade Jarrar. She said that the Authority was "entirely responsible" for the shutting down of the event and the intimidation of the media. PA security forces attacked journalists and human rights organization members with cameras, confiscating their cameras, deleting their photos and footage, and assaulting journalists.

The PFLP issued a statement condemning the activities of PA intelligence in Ramallah, demanding an immediate investigation to hold those responsible accountable, and saying that this was done in order to "prevent the empowerment of our people and their representatives to express their clear and explicit disapproval of these direct negotiations being launched in violation of the national consensus and the Palestinian Central Council's decision."

It said further that Palestinian security services should be providing security, rather than suppression, of the Palestinian people, noting that these actions were reminiscent of the security agencies of reactionary Arab regimes which are accustomed to the suppression of our people and saying that these agencies are complicit in schemes to suppress te Palestinian people and prevent our people from addressing the threats to our national cause. Nonetheless, the statement concluded, such behavior will never succeed in preventing the struggle of the Palestinian people and their national and Islamic forces, in the homeland and abroad, to stop such negotiations and any and all threats to our rights, our people, and our cause.


http://www.pflp.ps/english/?q=palestinian-authority-intelligence-forces-shut-dow

freepalestine
27th August 2010, 13:35
PCHR Condemns Interception of Peaceful Protest by Police in Ramallah
Wednesday, 25 August 2010 00:00
Ref: 75/2010



The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the Palestinian police's interception of a peaceful demonstration organized in Ramallah by the Follow-up Committee in protest to a decision taken by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) decision to participate in direct negotiations with Israel, and the detention of a member of the Committee. PCHR also condemns the disruptions carried out by groups claimed their affiliation to the Fatah Youth Movement during the sit-in called for by the Follow up Committee. PCHR further calls upon the government in Ramallah to respect public freedoms and emphasizes that the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of opinion and expression are guaranteed under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights standards.



According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 12:00 on Wednesday 25 August 2010, about 250 persons, including a number of members of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), secretaries general of a number of political parties and factions, figures from the civil society and independent figures, gathered in the Protestant Church hall in Ramallah to organize a peaceful demonstration and to hold a press conference in protest to the PNA's decision to participate in direct negotiations with Israel. Dozens of persons in civilian clothes, carrying pictures of the Palestinian President, Mahmoud 'Abbas, and radios, broke into the hall, repeating cries of the "Fatah Youth." They entered the hall, some of them mounted on the theater, organized Dabka (from the Palestinian folklore) and accused the attendees of preparing for a (conspiracy) conference against the PNA, and of being (spies for Syria and Iran). As a result, the attendees went out of the hall and headed to Rokab Street in the center of Ramallah. While they were walking in the said street, two civilian vehicles intercepted them; one of the cars has a governmental registration plate and its driver kept pressing on the horn to disrupt the demonstration. Later on, many police vehicles arrived and opened their horns, and then the policemen got out of the cars, intercepted the demonstration, and arrested Dr. Mohammed Jadallah, a member of the Follow-up Committee, put him in the car by force and transported him to an unknown destination.



Thereafter, members of the Follow-up Committee, secretaries of parties and factions and representatives of independent figures headed to the main office of the Agricultural Relief Committees in Ramallah to hold a press conference on their opposition of direct negotiations and to explain what had happened in the demonstration. Immediately, security forces headed to the area and surrounded the offices of the Agricultural Relief. After convening the conference, participants left the place and security forces left also.



In light of the above, PCHR:



1) Strongly condemns the disruption carried out by groups claimed their affiliation to the Fatah Youth in the sit-in that was called for by the Follow-up Committee, and emphasizes that civilians have a full and legal right to convene public meetings and organize sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations in accordance with the legal rules;

2) Strongly condemns the Palestinian police's interception of the demonstration that followed the sit-in, and further condemns the detention of Dr. Mohammed Jadallah, who is known as one of the Palestinian national figures in Jerusalem;

3) Emphasizes that the police has no right to license or reject any public meeting, 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"; and

4) Is concerned over the recurrence of attacks against the right to freedom of opinion and the right to peaceful assembly, and stresses that they are guaranteed under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights standards.
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6940:pchr-condemns-interception-of-peaceful-protest-by-police-in-ramallah-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194