Israeli Occupation Forces Harass BZU Students and Staff

Students and staff going to Birzeit University faced another wave of violence this morning. At 7.00 a.m., the Israeli occupation forces blocked all traffic to and from Birzeit University and the surrounding villages, forbidding even pedestrians from crossing. It was after 20 minutes that women and children were allowed to cross on foot.

When trying to cross on foot, men were not allowed and were answered with sound bombs. Enraged, some youngsters threw stones at the soldiers, who in turn started to shoot sound bombs and live rounds in the air to disperse the people. The skirmishes continued for about 15 minutes, and it was not until 8.00 that the soldiers opened the roadblock to commuters. The traffic that had accumulated due to the closure delayed the students and staff from reaching the University on time to start their 8.00 o'clock classes. Exams scheduled for today were cancelled.

The Israeli occupation forces have been sporadically enforcing a roadblock on the Ramallah-Birzeit Road, putting it up either in the early morning to delay people from arriving at their destinations, or in the afternoon, just as the students and staff are going back to Ramallah.