Pictures: Activities, clashes and a strike in Jerusalem in solidarity with prisoners
Activities were held on Thursday in the city of Jerusalem amid a complete strike in the city and its villages in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners currently on hunger-strike for the 11th consecutive day. Clashes broke out in the villages of Esawyeh and Silwan and Shu’fat Refugee Camp.
Complete strike
A complete strike took place on Thursday in the city and its villages in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners currently on hunger-strike.
Protests in front of international organizations
The National Labor authority in Jerusalem, prisoners’ families’ committee and Prisoner’s Club organized a protest in front of the European Union in Sheikh Jarrah and delivered a letter to the administration where they explained the demands of prisoners undergoing the hunger-strike, and confirmed their demands to be legal and fair since they are requesting to receive necessary medical treatment and to stop the policy of meeting their family members from behind glass as well as allowing people other than first degree family members to visit them.
The letter called on the European Union to take their responsibility towards prisoners in order to avoid deaths among them. The letter also said: “The European Union cannot only watch what happens and the crimes committed against prisoners.”
Prisoners’ families organized a protest where they held pictures of their sons.
A sit-in was also organized at the Red Cross headquarters in Jerusalem where national songs were chanted to support prisoners; prisoners’ families held pictures of their sons.
The head of the Red Cross met with the prisoners’ families and confirmed organizing visits to prisoners currently on hunger-strike since Wednesday.
The Red Cross disseminated a press release to the media saying “Our representatives visited Jalboo’ prison and met with all prisoners on hunger strike. The committee had visited hundreds of prisoners in Nafha and Jalboo’ prisons in the last two days”.
The head of the Red Cross in Jerusalem and West Bank, Christian Cardon, announced that the committee will organize additional visits to other prisoner in the coming days, and said: “We are fully aware that we are currently the only point of contact for prisoners on hunger strike with the outside world. From this point on, priority was given to the exchange of verbal messages between detainees and their families, and our representatives are working around the hour to ensure delivery of those messages as quick as possible.”
Cardon confirmed the Red Cross role and commitment to follow-up with all prisoners on hunger strike. They are doing all they can to take on their responsibilities in such cases.
Clashes
Clashes broke out on Thursday night in Ein Al-Lozeh; Silwan after the occupation forces raided the neighborhood and closed the main street. They arrested three young men (yet to be identified) and assaulted Mahmoud Mustafa Abu Tayeh (30). They raided several houses for Abbasi family under the pretext of looking for stone-throwers.
In the village of Esawyeh, the occupation forces dismantled a tent that was put up in the village in solidarity with prisoners; clashes broke out in the various areas in the village.
Clashes also broke out in Shu’fat Refugee Camp while a solidarity march took place in the streets of the Refugee Camp.
The occupation forces arrested one young man from the neighborhood of Shu’fat after assaulting and severely beating him.
The forces also arrested one merchant from the Old City of Jerusalem after a verbal altercation broke out between him and one policeman.
