Article

2006-01-28 Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Fatah activists riot in protest of election defeat

Thousands of activists from Fatah protested throughout the Gaza Strip on Friday, burning abandoned cars, shooting in the air and demanding Fatah leaders resign after the party's shock election defeat. About 1,000 angry party activists, including 100 gunmen, drove by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' resident in Gaza, calling from loudspeakers for all corrupt leaders to step down and urging Abbas not to form a coalition with Hamas. Abbas was in the West Bank town of Ramallah at the time.

"Ahmed, get the car! We're goin' to Ramallah! And make it quick! They're almost here!"

After evening prayers, the protesters went back to Abbas' house, and fired rifles in the air, before marching and driving through the city, waving Palestinian flags, yellow Fatah flags and posters of the late leader Yasser Arafat.

... who's no doubt spinning slowly in his grave...

They then led a march through Gaza City toward the security headquarters, tearing down Hamas election posters and banners and burning tires and some of the Hamas posters. Security personnel did not allow anyone to enter their compound. More than 15,000 people took part in the mass Fatah demonstrations across Gaza.

Mohammad Dahlan, Fatah's strongman in Gaza, arrived at the house and called on the crowd to head back to Parliament where he gave a short speech. "I assure you that Fatah won't participate with the new government... Those who are betraying us should assume this responsibility," he said.

In the West Bank city of Hebron, about 500 Fatah members, including some gunmen shooting in the air, marched to the local Fatah office, where one of the masked gunmen read a statement demanding the resignation of the central committee. The militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Fatah, issued a statement threatening to "liquidate" the faction's leaders if they changed their minds and joined a Hamas-led administration.

Posted by Fred 2006-01-28 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Imagine the Paleos astonishment that they've been sold a bill of goods for 60 years:

"then they pried open Arafats' tomb, but of course it was empty, with but a bandolier, a dirty kaffiyeh, a red notebook, a Michael Jackson model turkey baster, and a supply of Retrovir left upon the earthen floor"

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-01-28 00:44|| 2006-01-28 00:44|| Front Page Top

#2 Yes, popcorn would go good with that story. I should care about the inevitable loss of life that will happen in Paliland, but I don't. Sow the wind...

Posted by ThroppinJedidaih">ThroppinJedidaih 2006-01-28 04:29|| deleted]">[deleted] 2006-01-28 04:29|| Front Page Top

#3 In other news Fatah appeals to the Florida Supreme Court.

Posted by 6 2006-01-28 10:18|| 2006-01-28 10:18|| Front Page Top

#4 I really don't get it!...

According to the Guardian guy yesterday, the paleo-elections were the purest expression of total and absolute True Democracy in the whole ME, even more so than the rigged iraqi elections (you see, old Zark couldn't even present his candidates), and than the ZionistEntity(tm)'s, where they allow (gasp!) rightwing people to vote.

Was I somehow misled?
I'm so confused.

Posted by anonymous5089 2006-01-28 11:18|| 2006-01-28 11:18|| Front Page Top

#5 We may be about to see absolute True Democracy in action. It's never pretty.

Posted by 2b 2006-01-28 11:58|| 2006-01-28 11:58|| Front Page Top

#6 Update:
Hundreds of Fatah activists, angry at their party's election defeat, entered the compound of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday to pray at the grave of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

The group, which included several gunmen, were allowed into the compound by guards and peacefully proceed toward Arafat's tomb in an empty lot inside. Abbas' security force formed a cordon around the activists to prevent them from approaching the nearby building that holds the Palestinian leader's office.

Outside the compound, known as the muqaata, some of the militants shot in the air and chanted: "We came to you Abu Amar to forgive us for what happened." Abu Amar was Arafat's nickname.

Jibril Rajoub, Abbas' national security adviser who was among the protesters, warned Hamas not to tamper with the security forces.

"The security forces will stay. Hamas has no power meddling with the security forces," he said.

Earlier Saturday, thousands of angry Fatah activists, led by masked gunmen firing wildly in the air, marched in the West Bank on Saturday, demanding the resignation of party leaders.

Dozens of them made their way into the Palestinian parliament building in Ramallah Saturday afternoon and began shooting in different directions.

Some of the gunmen said they would no longer observe an informal cease-fire with Israel.

In the city of Nablus, about 2,000 Fatah members marched through the streets, led by dozens of gunmen from the Fatah-allied Al Aksa Martyrs' Brigades, who climbed aboard the back of a truck and fired in the air.

"Al Aksa, from Rafah to Jenin, has stopped the cease-fire," one of the gunmen aboard the truck, Nasser Haras, told the crowd. "We are now no longer part of the cease-fire."

Following bloody clashes Friday night and Saturday morning between his group and Fatah, Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Hania, told his followers Saturday morning that, "weapons should be turned only against Israel.

"Our battle is not against our own people," he added.

The statement came after Hamas gunmen ambushed a Palestinian police patrol early Saturday, wounding two officers, Gaza police said.

The shooting in the southern town of Khan Younis came just hours after an exchange of fire between Hamas gunmen and police in the same area. A Hamas gunman and two policemen were wounded in the firefight. One of the officers was shot in the head and chest, and later died of his wounds, Army Radio reported.

In an attempt to show that it was treating Hamas like a terrorist organization, Israeli government officials said Saturday that Hamas members in Gaza would not be allowed travel rights to the West Bank and vice-versa

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-01-28 14:08|| 2006-01-28 14:08|| Front Page Top

#7 Fatah needs the Ring of Abu Amar. Dig his butt up and let's have a parade!

Posted by 6 2006-01-28 15:05|| 2006-01-28 15:05|| Front Page Top

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