Palestinian protest turns violent

Protesters scattered as shots were fired outside the Palestinian legislative assembly building

December 9, 2006

Violence has broken out in Gaza City as Palestinian police officers protesting over unpaid wages tried to break into the legislative council building, Al Jazeera's correspondent Nour Odeh reports.

At least two guards were wounded as security forces protecting the parliament exchanged fire with the demonstrators.

Hundreds of Palestinian security officers marched to the building firing guns into the air and chanting: "We want our wages ... down with the government".

The protesters demanded that members of the Hamas government leave the building to talk to them about their demands.

The suspension of aid to the Palestinians by Western nations and Israel's refusal to hand over revenue collected on their behalf has created an economic crisis in the territories.

Since Hamas came to power in March the party has only been able to make partial payments to about 165,000 civil servants, nearly half of which are members of the security forces.

The Palestinian security forces are dominated by supporters of president Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction and have clashed with Hamas several times.

Security forces 'neglected'

Demonstrators accused Hamas of paying its own forces, the so-called Executive Force, while neglecting members of the regular security forces.

"Why are you hiding? Why are you ignoring our demands?"
Palestinian protester, Gaza

Addressing Hamas politicians inside the building over a loudspeaker, one of the protesters said: "Why are you hiding? Why are you ignoring our demands while you are feeding and increasing your militia and distributing the money that you smuggled from the outside."

Protests were also held in Rafah and Khan Yunis.

Witnesses said about 100 police officers had shut down Gaza's Salaheddin Road, the coastal territory's principal north-south artery.

About 4,000 security personnel also took to the streets of Jenin.

In the West Bank town of Hebron, dozens of parents, many of them carrying their children, broke into a medical clinic which has been closed because of a strike by doctors and nurses.

The parents demanded vaccinations for their babies and several of them set fire to tyres and rubbish bags outside.

The clashes came as President Abbas met with senior PLO officials at his West Bank headquarters to decide whether to dismiss the Hamas government and call early elections.