Sealed off

When I arrived in the Manara in the morning, to catch my regular taxi to Birzeit, I saw hundreds of students milling around. There were no cars to the University, as the Israelis had sealed off Ramallah for "security reasons". Consequently, around halfway along the road between the Ramallah and the University, in a place called Surda, there was a checkpoint. I made off for it with my camera, to find out what had happened.

In fact, Israeli authorities had imposed a closure on the Ramallah/AI-Bireh district at 4.3Oam this morning, blocking all movement in and out of the district in all directions. This move severly hampered the access of some 3,O0O Birzeit students, faculty and staff from the Jerusalem, Shu'fat, Beit Haninia and Ramallah areas.

At the checkpoint

When I arrived at the part of the valley road where the checkpoint was located, I found around 100 staff and faculty trapped on this side of it, and many other people on the other side. This was the first time, since the redeployment on 27 December 1995, that Israeli soldiers had totally closed the road between Ramallah (Area A) and Birzeit University (in Area B).

The soldier pictured to the left was not so keen on my taking his photo. The passage of emergency services vehicles was being hampered by the checkpoint. A fire engine and ambulance both had serious problems. This closure was imposed despite the fact that no Israeli settlements exist along this road neither do settlers use this road.

Demonstration

University officials began negotiating with the Israeli army at 8.00am to allow the staff and students to attend their classes. Meanwhile, students stranded in Ramallah, decided to march to the checkpoint to protest the closure. This picture on the right has a funny story attached. The crowd behind the two soldiers are those trapped on the Birzeit side of the checkpoint. They, who had a better view than the soldiers, had just seen several hundred students turn the corner carrying placards. The soldiers then ran over to the jeep and saw for themselves and, panicking, are radioing for reinforcements.

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