Ghost of “Nizar Banat” Haunts Abbas in Ramallah Protests

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets in central Ramallah on Sunday to demand the departure of President Mahmoud Abbas in protest against the death of an activist during his recent arrest.

The protesters held up Palestinian flags, a banner reading “Leave, Abbas, we want elections” and small papers with the words “Leave.”

Marching through some streets of the city, the protesters chanted, without walking the usual route to the Palestinian president’s residence, “Leave, Abbas.. Down with the rule of the military.”

The death of Nizar Banat, a prominent critic of the Palestinian president and the Palestinian government on social media, has sparked international reactions calling for an investigation into his death, as well as demonstrations calling for Abbas departure.

Today’s demonstration ended with a statement calling for those responsible for killing “Banat” to be held accountable and for dismissing the government and security chiefs, without interference from Palestinian security, as had happened in previous demonstrations. A number of policemen just followed the demonstration.

In the city of Jericho, hundreds took part in a demonstration called by the Fatah movement in support of President Abbas, where participants raised Palestinian and Fatah flags.

Thousands also took part in a march organized by the Fatah movement in Ramallah yesterday in support of Abbas.

“Today, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called for the dismissal of the Palestinian government of Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, and for the immediate aftermath of the killing of activist Nizar Banat.”

The Popular Front called for “forming a neutral national committee to investigate the crime and announce the results to our people, and to take measures to ensure that the perpetrators and those who committed it are held accountable in accordance with the law and order, and to guarantee the right of the martyr as a public right of our people, and to consider him a martyr of the revolution,” according to the statement.

Since the killing of “Banat” by Palestinian security agents shortly after his arrest in Hebron, the West Bank has been witnessing angry demonstrations, suppressed by security services, and demands for the departure of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.