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Protests continue in Ramallah after activist’s death

Hundreds took to the streets of Ramallah, calling for Palestinian president to quit.

Palestinians lift placards and national flags as they rally in the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to protest against the death of rights activist Nizar Banat while in the custody of Palestinian Authority security forces. [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
Published On 27 Jun 2021

Palestinian protesters and security forces clashed in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday, a third day of demonstrations sparked by an activist’s death in custody.

Nizar Banat, a 43-year-old from Hebron known for social media videos denouncing alleged corruption within the Palestinian Authority (PA), died on Thursday shortly after security forces stormed his house and violently arrested him, his family said.

On Saturday, hundreds took to the streets of Ramallah, the seat of the PA in the occupied West Bank, calling for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to quit.

Protester Ismat Mansour said the death of Banat was just “the tip of the iceberg” while accusing the PA of “a mountain of corruption” and demanding that elections be held.

Others held up placards directed at the PA that simply said “leave”.

Security officers in riot gear blocked off streets. An AFP news agency photographer said protesters hurled rocks at security forces, who responded by launching a barrage of tear gas canisters to break up the crowds.

Banat had registered as a candidate in Palestinian parliamentary elections, which had been set for May until Abbas postponed them indefinitely.

Banat’s family said the forces used pepper spray on him, beat him badly and dragged him away in a vehicle.

Samir Abu Zarzour, the doctor who carried out his autopsy, said injuries on Banat’s body indicated he had been beaten on the head, chest, neck, legs and hands, with less than an hour elapsing between his arrest and his death.

A Palestinian holds up a sign reading "Leave" in Arabic aimed at President Mahmoud Abbas as protesters gather in the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank during a demonstration against the death of human rights activist Nizar Banat. [Abbas Momani/AFP]
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Palestinian protesters and security forces clashed in Ramallah on Saturday, the third day of demonstrations sparked by an activist's death in custody. [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
Nizar Banat, a 43-year-old from Hebron known for social media videos denouncing alleged corruption within the Palestinian Authority (PA), died on Thursday shortly after security forces stormed his house and violently arrested him, his family said. [Abbas Momani/AFP]
Palestinian plain-clothed security officers detain a man during a demonstration in Ramallah. [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
Another youth is detained by Palestinian plain-clothed security officers during the demonstration in Ramallah. [Abbas Momani/AFP]
The spokesman for the PA security services, Talal Dweikat, said the committee investigating Banat’s death had begun its work and urged people to wait for the results. [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
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The officers, some wearing riot gear, others in plain clothes, also fired tear gas and attacked journalists, according to witnesses. There were no official figures on how many people were arrested or injured. [Mohamad Torokman/Reuters]
A Palestinian police officer fires tear gas during the protests. The Palestinian journalists' union condemned attacks by security forces against journalists covering the protest. "The targeting of journalists by security men is a new, grave development in the onslaught on freedom of expression and the media," the union said in a statement. [Mohamad Torokman/Reuters]
The crowd marched through streets waving Palestinian flags and pictures of Banat while calling for an end to Abbas's 16-year rule. [Abbas Momani/AFP]