Birzeit--8 March 1997-- At 2:50pm today, 45 Birzeit University students travelled to the nearest Israeli bypass road to protest recent Israeli moves to change the status of Jerusalem by building a settlement in Jebal Abu Ghenaim. Israeli military arrived in large numbers but students dispersed before there were any clashes.
The students, mostly from the student Shabiba bloc (pro-Fatah student youth movement, carried placards reading, "Netanyahu, we want peace, but with Jerusalem." and sat down blocking the Surda settler bypass road that cuts across the Ramallah-Birzeit road 100m north of the Oslo zone A area of Ramallah. In high spirits, the students chanted songs and clapped.
After an initial jeep came to assess the situation, Israeli border police and army were deployed from the Beit El end of the road in increasing numbers. By the time the student dispersed, six to seven vans were visible from the crossroads, with at least 35 police and soldiers on the road and overlooking hills.
Student Affairs Dean Ziad Izzat and Student Council President Khalid Walid were present to observe the demonstration, as were staff from the university Public Relations Office and several local journalists. After 45 minutes, a Shabiba spokesman from Birzeit University read out a press release from the movement, saying that today was "the first move" and that a further action will take place on Monday. Singing students then boarded a bus to return to the university campus.
Webpage and digital camera images by Nigel Parry and Michael O'Neill. Comments to webmaster@birzeit.edu
