http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=369747
*Standoff at UNRWA building in Gaza* Published today (updated) 17/03/2011 22:15 [image: Font-] [image: Font+] GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Security forces dispersed a demonstration organized by Palestinian youth who are calling for ending division, in front of the UNRWA building in Gaza on Thursday. Sixteen protesters took refuge in the compound after fleeing baton-wielding Hamas police have announced an indefinite hunger strike. "We have begun a sit-in in the heart of the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and have started an indefinite hunger strike, demanding an end to Palestinian divisions," protester Abu Yazin told AFP. He said five women were in the group who had chosen to gather at the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) compound "to benefit from international protection." Earlier, the protesters demonstrated outside the compound for Palestinian national unity before the gathering was violently broken up by security forces of Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip, witnesses said. They chased away dozens of demonstrators and seized the memory cards from photographers and cameramen at the scene, they said. It was not immediately clear if anyone was arrested or injured. After the 16 people took refuge inside the compound, UNRWA called on Hamas to ensure their safety. "UNRWA has appealed to the relevant authorities in Gaza to allow these sixteen people safe passage from the UNRWA compound and to guarantee their safety," spokesman Chris Gunness said in a statement. "The United Nations will continue to monitor the situation and the circumstances of the sixteen cases," he said. On Tuesday tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Gaza and the West Bank to demand that Hamas and the rival Fatah movement, which dominates the Palestinian Authority, end their bitter enmity. But despite leaders of the two factions agreeing to meet to talk, Hamas has since used force to disperse several follow-up demonstrations. ------------------------- *March 15 coalition launches petition* Published today 21:24 [image: Font-] [image: Font+] BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The March 15 coalition has launched an initiative to gather a million signatures to end the division, the coordinator of the coalition Yousef Nouri told Ma'an. "This campaign will be house-to-house, street-to-street, city-to-city in the West Bank and Gaza demanding an end to division," Nouri said. The document reads: "I, a Palestinian citizen, urge Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, and Aziz Dweik, the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, to sign this document." It also "demands that the leaders of Fatah and Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza ratify it." "We will go to Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh with this demand, and Zakaria Al-Agha, member of the PLO executive committee, urging them to restore Palestinian rights and their national project," Nouri said. He urged President Abbas to speed up his preparations visit Gaza. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: laamn-dig...@yahoogroups.com laamn-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: laamn-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
