Shireen Abu Akleh street inaugurated in heart of Ramallah city
Ramallah (QNN)- A street in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah has been renamed after slain Palestinian-American journalist of Al Jazeera Shireen Abu Akleh.
On the eve of the three-month anniversary of Shireen’s killing by Israeli forces, an official ceremony was held on Wednesday to honour the late journalist.
Accompanied by Abu Akleh’s family and Al Jazeera colleagues, Ramallah’s mayor unveiled a stone memorial with a picture of Shireen and key events in her life. The street is located in the heart of Ramallah, a one-minute walk from Al-Manara Square, a bustling hub, and was named after Abu Akleh on 25 June.
The inauguration of #ShireenAbuAkleh Street in Ramallah in front of Al-Jazeera offices, along with a wall mural installation. Always loved, always remembered. Justice for Shireen. Justice for Palestine. pic.twitter.com/WRi1iAx8d3
— Hanan Ashrawi (@DrHananAshrawi) August 10, 2022
Happening Now in Ramallah: The inauguration of the #ShireenAbuAkleh Street in Ramallah. pic.twitter.com/svE1qBUG74
— Lina Abu Akleh (@LinaAbuAkleh) August 10, 2022
Today @Ramallah_Muni honored Shireen by inaugurating the Shireen Abu Akleh street that is located under the Al Jazeera Office. She will never be forgotten🕊 #JusticeForShireen #ShireenAbuAkleh pic.twitter.com/Av1nczM9ie
— Lareen Abu Akleh (@aa_lareen) August 10, 2022
The street was previously called Sanaa street. It is rare for the names of streets to be changed in Ramallah, but many Palestinians told Al Jazeera that the act shows her significance in Palestinian society.
“The square witnessed historical Palestinian events, and Shireen was always there to cover walking through this specific street for over a quarter of a decade,” Ahmed Abu Laban, the director of Ramallah municipality told Al Jazeera. “We wanted to make sure that her memory remains eternal,” he added.
Abu Akleh’s colleagues said the street was one of her preferred locations when carrying out live television broadcasts.
The head of Al Jazeera’s bureau in Palestine Walid al-Omari said it was hard to explain the love people had for Abu Akleh.
“Shireen left no choice for people but to love her,” he told the crowd at the ceremony in Ramallah. Al-Omari promised to continue pursuing all efforts to secure justice for her killing.
At the ceremony, Anton Abu Akleh, Shireen’s brother, said the family will continue its efforts to hold Israeli occupation accountable.
“She was killed because she was telling the Palestinians’ stories and suffering to the world,” he said, promising to keep Shireen’s legacy alive.
He added that renaming the street after Shireen was an honour to her and all those who sacrificed their lives for Palestine.
Despite wearing a protective helmet and blue bulletproof vest clearly marked as “PRESS,” the 51-year-old journalist was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the head while she was covering an Israeli military raid into the Jenin refugee camp on May 11, sparking international outrage and calls for accountability for attacks on journalists. The slain journalist covered events and Israeli aggressions in the occupied Palestinian territory for 25 years.
