Palestinian Authority security forces on Wednesday prevented a peaceful Palestinian march in Ramallah’s al-Bireh neighborhood from reaching a checkpoint outside the nearby Beit El illegal Israeli settlement, protesters told Ma’an.

PA forces stopped hundreds of protesters from continuing their march to the Israeli checkpoint by setting up their own flying checkpoints and blockades.

Leading members of the Fatah movement were present at the march, including committee member Sultan Abu al-Einein, as well as PLO executive committee members Wassel Abu Youssef and Jamil Shihadeh. The secretary general of the Arab Liberation Front, Rakad Salem, and the secretary-general of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Qais Abd al-Karim, were also in attendance.

Dozens of youth left the march after Palestinian forces suppressed the protest, and instead headed to an area in al-Bireh near the illegal Israeli settlement of Psegot where protesters clashed with Israeli forces.

In September, the PA came under fire after a local journalist caught PA police forces on camera beating protesters in the street while attempting to prevent youth from protesting in front of a military site behind Israel’s separation wall near the northern entrance of Bethlehem city.

As the video rapidly spread throughout social networks, as well as local and international media, PA officials spoke out against the incident, however protests against the PA and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas went on for several days.

Following the outrage, the PA announced that nine PA officers, including five high-ranking officers, would face disciplinary action over the attack.

(MAAN)