Rallies Throughout Occupied Palestine in Solidarity with Egypt and Tunisia

More than two thousand people rallied today in the center of Ramallah at Al-Manara square in solidarity with the popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, calling for freedom, social justice, democracy and human rights. Parallel rallies took place in Bethlehem and Nazareth. Previous rallies have been held by Palestinian activists in Tel Aviv, Ramallah, and Gaza.

The demonstrations were called for by independent youth movements, the
Palestinian NGO Network, trade unions and professional syndicates.
Al-Manara Square overflowed with a diverse crowd of students, workers,
professionals, human rights activists and political parties'
representatives, with a prominent presence of women. Protesters carried
Egyptian, Tunisian, and Palestinian flags and repeated the Egyptian chants
of "The people want to dismantle the regime" and "Down with Mubarak." They
also demanded an end to the occupation, internal division, normalization,
oppressive regimes, and to US and Western complicity in maintaining Israel's
colonial system and protecting despotic Arab regimes.

One of the protesters, Omar Assaf, said that "We, the Palestinian people,
send a message to the Arab world to stand together for a better life against
the corruption of the authorities... we support the Egyptian people but the
Egyptians must elect their leaders, Tunisian people must elect their
leaders, and we Palestinian must elect our leaders."

This was Ramallah's fourth and largest rally in solidarity with the peoples
of Egypt and Tunisia. The previous three, organized by youth groups were
violently suppressed by Palestinian Authority agents, funded primarily by
the US and the EU. The PA also sent in plain-clothes officers into today's
crowd who chanted pro-Abbas
slogans and assaulted several of the protesters.

The organizers stressed that they will continue mobilizing events in support
of human rights, against the Israeli occupation and status quo, and in
solidarity with struggles around the world, especially in Arab countries,
for freedom, democracy and social justice. The next upcoming event is a call
by the Popular Committees in Palestine to demonstrate in front of Israeli
embassies worldwide on Friday, February 11th, against injustice and
dictatorship and in solidarity with persecuted nations under the slogan
"People can bring change and make the impossible, possible."

Media inquiries can be directed to: Hanadi Omar, 972 59 543 6027 or Mazin
Qumsiyeh, 972 59 893 9532

E-mail hirakalshabab@gmail.com

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWUuWB-wOmw