For the 21 day.. Former prisoners sit in Ramallah to protest PA suspension of their salaries

Ramallah (QNN)- Dozens of former prisoners in Israeli jails entered today their 21 day of protests, urging the Palestinian Authority (PA) to release their salaries, which were suspended in 2007.

On Wednesday, the former prisoners, who set up tents in central Ramallah, wrote their will as they entered their 19th day of hunger strike and second day of stopping to drink water.

“Our will is that you bury us here and that no hypocrites, liars, defeatists, officials, or cowards pray for us. No one of those, who accepted to be oppressed shall pray for us”, Alaa Rimawi, spokesperson for the former prisoners, said in a press conference during the sit-in.

The beginning of the problem

The PA suspended the salaries of over 120 Palestinian former prisoners in 2007 before releasing part of them.

The former prisoners protested the decision and went on a hunger strike before the Palestinian intelligence promised them that it will be solve, which was why they ended their strike.

The former prisoners went back to the streets more than a month ago to protest against the PA’s non-fulfillment of its commitments, setting up their tents in central Ramallah with their families.

PA police attacks the protesters’ tents

Last Tuesday, the protesters said the PA police stormed their tents and dismantled them and confiscated properties before arresting some protesters, who were released later on.

The police raid pushed the protesters to announce that they will stop drinking water after entering their 17 day of hunger strike.

The Palestinian Prime Minister, Muhammad Ishtayyeh, visited the protesters and apologized for the police raid before inviting the protesters to talks, which did not result in any solutions.

Christian support.. “Protest next to every Christmas tree”

Vice-Chair of the Fateh movement, Mahmoud Aloul, said “what I understood is that it is not about removing the tents, but moving them to another place, as the city will put the Christmas tree there”.

The protesters replied that “if our Christian brothers want to celebrate here, we will celebrate with them and if they want to build a stage, we help them build it”.

They also asserted that if there existence in the area would cause any problem for those, who will celebrate Christmas, the they are ready to do whatever they ask for.

Priest Manuel Musallam sent a message to the protesters, which read: “Oh you hero prisoners, who are ascending to death by your legendary strike demanding your rights, honor, and humanity, protest near every Christmas tree”.

“The lights of the Christmas tree and the pains of the hunger-striker prisoners have sent a spark for you Palestinians, to ignite the fire of your braveness and say to the occupation, the world, and the PA: no, no, no for slavery. Between slavery and death we choose nothing”, he added.

“Oh my people, let us start our liberation march from the Christmas tree, surrounded by the prisoners’ suffering. God is greater than everyone, who oppresses our prisoners.”