Occupied Palestine | فلسطين

Youth Hunger Strike before

Palestine Monitor -15 March 2011
Fed up youth go on a hunger strike to pressure their governments to meet their demands.

Last night, striking Palestinian youth prepared to camp out for their second night in downtown Ramallah at al-Manara circle. Having been denied the use of tents by the Palestinian police, they kept warm by huddling together on the ground with blankets, as journalists and followers keep watch.

On Sunday, two days before the highly-anticipated Palestinian Day of Reconciliation, approximately 15 Palestinians commenced a hunger strike to pressure the current Palestinian leaders to resign their posts and make way for a new Palestinian Legislative Council.

Hamza Obeid, one of the strikers explained, “I am on hunger strike to pressure all of the Palestinian factions to end the division and promote through an election of a new Palestinian Legislative Council better representations of Palestinians inside and outside: in the West Bank, Gaza, the refugee camps, in the Diaspora and in ‘48.”

“Our intentions are completely peaceful,” Obeid said, “We are not trying to promote any Palestinian faction more than the other – we’re want to bring them together.”

Another striker, Mohammed Qabalani, age 23, told Palestine Monitor that they decided to initiate the strike before the protest as a way of preparation for the big day, “We want people to know that there is nothing to be afraid of and we are serious.”

One flyer states to the Palestinian Authority forces, “We were bombed together, we fought together, we will be free together.”

Last night, while villages throughout the West Bank steadied themselves for expected attacks from settlements in retribution for the slaughter of the Fogle family in Itamar, the Israeli military entered Ramallah. One car was set on fire in Jalazoun refugee camp in north Ramallah, close to the Bet El settlement. When notice came that the Israeli army was near, the protesters dispersed from the center. Qabalani explained that they left Manara because they were afraid of the Israeli army, but returned after the military jeeps had exited, “The Palestinian police told us that they can’t protect us from the Israeli army.”

Last night, the strikers spent the night outside without a tent. According to Obeid, the Palestinian police did not permit them to use tents for “security reasons.”

Sitting next to Qabalani and sharing a blanket, Ala Azi, age 19, told Palestine Monitor why he decided to strike, “I told myself I must be here to have one land, one nation. We want to have one nation, one flag, and we are all under it.”

The protesters have pledged to only drink water, milk and fluids until their demands are met.

One of the concerns surrounding tomorrow’s protest is how the Palestinian security forces will react. Since the end of January, several demonstrations have been organized in support of “unity” in Palestine. Sparked by the democratic uprisings in the surrounding countries, Palestinian attempts to demand democratic representation and regime change have been met with a silencing fist: those that have chanted anti-Abbas, PA or Oslo slogans have been summarily arrested and at times beaten, leaving only pro-Fatah and pro-Abbas voices to be heard.

Leaders of tomorrow’s demonstration hope Palestine’s Day of Reconciliation will be different. The Gaza government Interior Ministry spokesman, Ihab Al-Ghussein, promised to protect demonstrators as they call for unity.

Palestine Monitor – Youth Hunger Strike before.