Demonstrators in Ramallah chanted “the people want the regime to fall” and urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to “leave.”

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah to protest against President Mahmoud Abbas, hoping to inject new impetus into the protest movement initiated by the Syrian government forces. death Outspoken critics under the supervision of security forces.

Palestinian security forces and plainclothes men’s groups violently dispersed similar protest A week ago, it attracted the attention of the heads of human rights in the United States and the United Nations. There were no reports of immediate violence during the Saturday demonstrations.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) was established as part of the peace process in the 1990s and administers parts of the West Bank occupied by Israel.

It became increasingly domineering and unpopular, and Abbas canceled the first election in 15 years in April, when his Fatah party seemed to be defeated.

During the escalation of violence between Hamas (the Palestinian organization that manages the besieged Gaza Strip) and Israel in May, Abbas was largely marginalized in support of Hamas.

Palestinian demonstrators raised placards to condemn the Palestinian Authority during a rally in Ramallah, the occupied West Bank [Abbas Momani/AFP]

Saturday’s demonstrations began when hundreds of protesters gathered in al-Manara Square in the center of Ramallah, the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority.

‘S mother Nizarbanat, The activist who died last month triggered the protest, and other family members were welcomed by applause and delivered brief speeches.

Then the crowd circled the city center and gathered forces during the march until thousands of people could be heard chanting “the people want the regime to fall” and “Abbas, leave.” This was the so-called Arab Spring protest The slogan used in the Middle East in 2011.

Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reported from Ramallah that although police forces are usually stationed in protests in the occupied West Bank, there were no visible troops during Saturday’s demonstrations.

“We heard that there are riot police in the streets around the square and on the streets leading to the presidential headquarters. If protesters try to reach the presidential headquarters, they may be obstructed by force.

Ibrahim said: “Last week, protests against the death of Palestinian Authority critic Nizar Banat were violently suppressed.” He added that the international community had condemned the protests against demonstrators. Suppress.

The Fatah Party, led by Abbas and leading the Palestinian Authority, also held a rally in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Supporters waved the party’s iconic yellow flag. The official Palestinian television station of the Palestinian Authority reported on the Hebron rally and ignored the Ramallah demonstrations.

Fatah demonstrates force in Hebron. Protest against Nizar Banat demonstration in Ramallah. pic.twitter.com/metJXyYGZs

-Neri Zilber (@NeriZilber) July 3, 2021

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said earlier this week that the United States is “deeply disturbed by reports that ununiformed members of the Palestinian Authority’s security forces harassed protesters and journalists and used force during last weekend’s demonstrations”.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michel Bachelet said on Thursday that Palestinian security forces beat protesters with batons and attacked them with tear gas and stun grenades. She said they seemed to single out female demonstrators, journalists and bystanders, many of whom said they had been sexually harassed.

She called on the Palestinian Authority to “ensure freedom of opinion, expression and peaceful assembly.”

Palestinian security forces deployed during a rally of demonstrators in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah [Abbas Momani/AFP]