RAMALLAH: On Sunday night Palestinian police clashed with youth in the Al-Amari refugee camp in Ramallah, reports Ma'an News Agency. Three protesters were injured when Palestinian Authority police fired live ammunition in response to stone-throwing. Police attempted to clear streets that had been barricaded off by protesters demonstrating on behalf of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli military prisons. Angry youth launched rocks at them, and security forces in turn fired live ammunition, first into the air and then aimed for the protesters' legs. Due to the high number of Al-Amari residents in Israel's Eshel prison, the demonstrators told Ma'an they were showing solidarity with these prisoners. Over the last year, the Palestinian Authority and its security forces have seen increasing criticism for the use of force. In July 2012, PA police officers attacked peaceful Palestinian protesters in Ramallah when they assembled to demonstrate against a visit by Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz to the PA compound the Muqa'ata. According to Addameer Prisoner Support Network, as of December there were 4,656 Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli military prisons. 178 of them were administrative detainees (without trial or charge), and 21 of them were under the age of 16. Another 13 prisoners were members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. The PA attack on Palestinian demonstrators is likely to become a point of contention as President Mahmoud Abbas's diplomatic approach to statehood is becoming more widely seen as ineffective as Israeli settlement growth continues and instances of military violence see an uptick. BN
