| Birzeit Univeristy Students
and Staff Stranded at Checkpoint September 17, 2001 Birzeit University students, staff and faculty,
alongside hundreds of commuters coming from Ramallah to
Birzeit were stranded at the Israeli occupation
checkpoint on the Ramallah-Birzeit road for three hours
under the scorching sun this morning from 7:00 to 10:00.
The Israeli occupation army gave no reason for
prohibiting the people from crossing, and it was only
after the University administration persuaded the Israeli
army to allow the people to pass did the Israelis open
the roadblock. Nine students were injured during the three hours, where the Israeli soldiers fired tear-gas and live ammunition at the crowd of students, staff and faculty. While Birzeit University was once again able to ensure the passage of the majority of its students to the University through peaceful means, we condemn the arbitrary decisions taken by the Israeli government to harass and hassle students, delaying classes and threatening the safety of Palestinian civilians. Education is not only a basic human right, it is the necessary foundation upon which to build a civil society capable of ensuring the economic, social and cultural development of the society. For further information about Birzeit University, please visit the University Website at http://www.birzeit.edu
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As a result, only those with a West Bank
identity card and a University ID were allowed to pass on
foot, while those holding a Jerusalem ID were completely
prohibited from crossing.