Palestine Journalists Syndicate urges mass media to boycott PA over protest crackdown

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) has called on local and international media outlets to boycott the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after Palestinian security forces assaulted journalists and violently dispersed crowds in the occupied West Bank as they were protesting the death of prominent political opponent Nizar Banat.

The syndicate, in a statement released on Sunday, called on Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh to fire the Palestinian police chief over failure to ensure journalists’ protection, banning correspondents from covering anti-PA protests, and allowing undercover forces to attack them.

The PSJ demanded prosecution of the assailants, and asked Shtayyeh to issue an apology to journalists and to pledge to respect their work as well as freedom of expression.

Analyst: Protests over activist’s death show ‘huge split’ between Palestinian Authority and people

US-based journalist and analyst Kevin Barrett says protests over the custodial death of Palestinian activist Nizar Banat shows the widening gap between the Palestinian Authority and the people.

If the PA's aggression on journalists continues, the syndicate noted, other measures would be taken in the meantime.

The syndicate highlighted that it would start filing criminal complaints against those involved in the attacks against journalists.

On Saturday, Palestinian security forces clashed with thousands of angry protesters, who had taken to the streets of Ramallah, to protest Banat’s death.

The demonstrators called for the resignation of Abbas and accused his administration of killing the activist as they carried Palestinian flags.

Palestinian Authority forces broke into a relative's house, where Banat was staying in the early hours of June 24 and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod before arresting him, according to his family.

The family has accused Palestinian Authority security forces of killing Banat after beating him and taking him away while he was semi-conscious.

In videos he had posted on social media, Banat had repeatedly criticized the Palestinian Authority for corruption and its security coordination with the Israeli military in the West Bank.

Thousands protest against Palestinian Authority in Ramallah amid anger over critic's death

Palestinian Authority security forces and protesters have clashed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Ramallah after one of President Mahmoud Abbas

He had also blasted Abbas over a short-lived COVID-19 vaccine exchange with the Israeli regime earlier this month, and slammed his decision to postpone a long-delayed Palestinian election in May, for which he had registered as a parliamentary candidate. 

The spokesman for Ramallah-based security services, Talal Dweikat, said the committee investigating Banat's death had begun its work, calling on Palestinians to wait for the results.

Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, reject accusations of corruption.

Human rights groups say authorities in Ramallah regularly arrest critics for their political views.

Palestinian Hamas resistance movement also condemned the death of Banat, and said it reflects the intentions of the PA against Palestinians and political activists.

The group held Abbas and his government responsible for the activist’s death.

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