PA blocks Gaza solidarity march in Ramallah, assaults protesters

The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) blocked a solidarity march in support of Gaza in the city of Ramallah yesterday and assaulted several participants, according to Quds Press.

The committee of families of political prisoners in the occupied West Bank condemned what it described as a disgraceful act by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces, stating that these forces had arrested several young men who were taking part in a march in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The committee added that participants had also been assaulted by undercover security personnel.

The committee, which monitors the situation of political detainees in PA prisons, stated that the incident was “not merely an isolated act, but systematic behaviour revealing the repressive nature of the Authority’s security apparatus, which now perceives every free voice as a threat to its existence and treats its people as though they were enemies.”

It further noted that “attacking citizens who took to the streets in support of Gaza, while it is under bombardment, and arresting them in such a brutal manner constitutes a clear betrayal of the national cause and aligns with the occupation’s policies of silencing the Palestinian street and breaking its will.”

The committee condemned the physical and psychological abuse of demonstrators by PA security forces, including the assault of a Palestinian woman, stating that it represents a significant decline in the Authority’s security practices, which demands a strong national and popular response to end such violations.

It held the Palestinian Authority and its security services fully responsible for the well-being of those arrested and demanded their immediate and unconditional release. It emphasised that “the continued policy of repression will not stop the popular movement nor silence the voices of the people, who will uphold dignity and freedom despite the brutality.”

The committee warned that such violations “are no less serious than the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation, and those who remain silent about them today will be partners in the occupation’s ongoing crimes in the Gaza Strip.”

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