Hundreds of Palestinians are protesting in the West Bank against New Palestine

Ramallah protesters shouted ‘the people want the fall of the regime’ and called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to ‘leave’.

Hundreds of Palestinians have gathered in the West Bank city of Ramallah to protest against President Mahmoud Abbas in a bid to introduce a new impetus. death of a frank critic under the watchful eye of the security forces.

Palestinian security forces and a group of men dressed in robes violently dispersed a similar one protest a week ago, drawing statements of concern from the United States and the head of human rights at the United Nations. No immediate violence was reported at Saturday’s demonstration.

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

It has become increasingly dominant and unconventional, and Abbas called off the Fatah party in the first election in 15 years, which he called off in April.

In May, when Hamas, the Palestinian group that rules the besieged Gaza Strip, and escalated violence between Israel, Abbas was largely sidelined amid pouring support for Hamas.

Saturday’s demonstration began with hundreds of protesters gathered in al-Manara Square in central Ramallah, PA.

-Ren’s mother Nizar Banat, the activist who sparked the death protest last month and other members of the family applauded and gave short speeches.

The crowd then made a loop through the city center, gathering strength until thousands could be heard shouting “People want the fall of the regime” and “Abbas, leave,” slogans used in so-called Arab Spring protests in the Middle East in 2011.

Reporting in Ramallah, Nida Ibrahim of Al Jazeera said that although police forces are often present in protests in the occupied West Bank, there were no spectacular forces at Saturday’s demonstration.

“However, we are hearing that there are riot police on the streets around the square and on the streets leading to the presidential residence. If the demonstrators try to go to the presidential residence, they will join forces.

“Last week we saw a violent crackdown on protests against the death of PA critic Nizar Banat,” Ibrahim said, adding that the international community has condemned the crackdown on protesters.

The Fatah party, led by Abbas and dominating the PA, held a rally in the southwestern city of Hebron when supporters waved the party’s yellow flags. PA’s official Palestinian television reported on the Hebron rally and ignored the Ramallah demonstration.

Fatah demonstrates strength in Hebron. Protest against the model of Nizar Banat in Ramizar. pic.twitter.com/metJXyYGZs

– Neri Zilber (@NeriZilber) July 3, 2021

State Department spokesman Ned Price said earlier this week that the U.S. was “deeply disturbed by the lack of uniformed members of the Palestinian Authority’s security forces who harassed and used force against protesters and journalists” in protests last weekend.

Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Thursday that Palestinian security forces had beaten protesters with sticks and attacked them with tear gas and stun grenades. Female protesters, reporters and people attended, many of whom said they had been sexually harassed.

He called on the PA to “ensure freedom of opinion, expression and peaceful assembly.”

Palestinian security forces are deploying as protesters in the occupied West Bank in the city of Ramallah [Abbas Momani/AFP]