Palestinian Authority violently suppresses West Bank protests

Tamara Nassar Rights and Accountability 13 June 2018

Palestinians take part in a protest in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on 10 June. One protester is holding a banner that reads ”Razan al-Najjar is trusting you with her family. Lift the sanctions on Gaza.” 

Eyad JadallahAPA images

Palestinian Authority forces violently suppressed demonstrators in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday evening.

The protesters were demanding an end to PA sanctions that are compounding the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier in the day, the PA decided to stop granting permits for protests during the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan, to “make it easier for citizens to conduct their normal lives.”

Hours later, PA forces fired tear gas and sound grenades, attacked protesters and arrested journalists and activists before the holiday had even begun.

Palestinian Authority forces are funded by and trained under the supervision of the United States and the European Union.

EU trainers have included former members of British forces involved in human rights abuses in Northern Ireland.

European and American support for the PA is predicated on its willingness to continue “security coordination” with Israel, which means in practice helping to suppress any form of resistance to occupation.

Videos circulated on social media showing riot police violently suppressing demonstrations:

منعت الصحافيين من التغطية واستخدمت القوة وأطلقت الغاز بكثافة... الأجهزة الأمنية تتصدى للحراك الشبابي المطالب برفع العقوبات عن غزة.

#ارفعوا_العقوبات pic.twitter.com/RCvSa7reFQ

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) June 13, 2018

. Here is one of multiple times Palestinian security forces used sound grenades to push protesters back pic.twitter.com/7WPPrp8qv1

— Joe (@joedyke) June 13, 2018

Palestinian Authority forces suppress protest in Ramallah this evening calling for end to punitive measures against Gaza - via @WattanNews

full clip: https://t.co/EzOtUcYyNc #ارفعوا_العقوبات pic.twitter.com/9sXPh6vR46

— Ben White (@benabyad) June 13, 2018

“PA security forces haven’t fired a single tear gas canister or bullets at Israeli forces raiding Palestinian neighborhoods,” Quds News Network stated. “Today they used those means against peaceful Palestinian protesters in Ramallah.”

PA security forces haven't fired a single teargas canister or bullets at Israeli forces raiding Palestinian neighbourhoods. Today they used those means against peaceful Palestinian protesters in Ramallah who demanded President Abbas to lift his measures imposed on the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/mOCmeFRLnj

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 13, 2018

PA forces in civilian clothing attacked and arrested protesters:

A man is dragged away by what appear to be plain clothed Palestinian security forces, during protests in Ramallah pic.twitter.com/7DLwL5V0e4

— Joe (@joedyke) June 13, 2018

Among those arrested was Yahya Rabie, head of the student union at Birzeit University:

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