Palestinian activists launched a sit-in at the headquarters of the PLO in the West Bank city of Ramallah calling for the PLO, Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah President Mahmoud Abbas to lift the sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip, Safa news agency reported yesterday.
Protest in Ramallah demands ending the GAZA BLOCKADE and ABBAS/PA SANCTIONS on the Gaza Strip pic.twitter.com/FK2LE2WdGS
— Palestine Video (@PalestineVideo) August 15, 2018
The activists gathered and started their sit-in inside the PLO office and raised placards calling for the PLO to lift Abbas’ sanctions on Gaza and asked to meet officials.
According to the activists, the PA security services and the PLO employees surrounded them, tore the placards and asked them to leave the office.
This is a rebuke to Palestinian President Abbas, who's imposed sanctions on Gaza employees — a move that Palestinians across the board have opposed, including in sustained objections during the recent Palestinian National Council session, and also in protests in Ramallah streets
— Marian Houk (@Marianhouk) August 18, 2018
Security services asked them not to take pictures of videos of forces who were breaking up the sit-in.
Over the past few weeks, the PA security services have cracked down on protests and demonstrations that called for the lifting of punitive measures imposed on the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians in Ramallah are right now on the streets once again to protest the PA imposed sanctions on the Gaza Strip and the security collaboration with the Israeli Occupation. pic.twitter.com/zvJPSlX4Cm
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 23, 2018
Abbas imposed a package of sanctions on Gaza in April 2017 that included salary cuts for PA employees, reducing electricity supplies, slashing treatment transfers and forcing more than 20,000 employees to take early retirement.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
