Police beat pro - Palestinian protesters in Tunisia

Reuters, Israel ^ | 4-5-02

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Police beat pro - Palestinian protesters in Tunisia

    TUNIS, April 5 (Reuters) - Police beat protesters who braved 
a government ban on Friday and took to the streets to show 
solidarity with the Palestinians, witnesses said. 
    "No American embassies and no American interests on Arab 
land," shouted some demonstrators, waving Palestinian flags, 
while others repeated:"Palestine is an Arab land". 
    Plainclothes police, backed by riot police, stormed the 
protesters as they passed through Paris street in central Tunis, 
beating them with truncheons and clubs, the witnesses said. 
    The demonstrators, including women, escaped through adjacent 
streets as more policemen charged forward to disperse about 300 
protesters. 
    Earlier, police forced hundreds of other demonstrators to 
disperse when they attempted to launch a march down another 
avenue. 
    At one point, police chased demonstrators inside cafes and 
shops where they tried to hide, witnesses said. 
    Many demonstrators were opposition activists and human rights 
militants. 
    The government had rejected a demand submitted by two legal 
oppostion groups and four civic associations to stage a street 
march and a rally in Tunis on Friday, a day of mass prayers in 
the North African country, a political party said. 
    On paper, the law allows peaceful demonstrations, provided 
the authorities grant permits for the organisers - a rare thing 
in a country ruled by the de facto single-party government. 
    "The Interior Ministry decided to ban (our) march and 
rally...and the Progressive Democratic Party protests that 
decision which dismisses the rights of the Tunisians to express 
their feelings towards their Palestinian brothers," the 
Progressive Party said in a statement on Friday. 
    The party is one of six legal political groups.  
    A staunch ally of the United States, Tunisia faces 
increasing public anger over Washington's perceived pro-Israel 
bias.  
    Fearing public anger might spin out of control, the 
government deployed anti-riot police in streets near schools and 
universities to thwart students' attempts to take to the streets. 
    It has been walking a tightrope since Israel launched a 
miliary offensive in the West Bank to try to quell a Palestinian 
uprising against military occupation. 
 Riot police used truncheons to break up hundreds of 
university students who attempted to leave campus to demonstrate 
in the streets on Tuesday, student leaders said. 
   ((Tunis newsroom, +216-71 787538 fax +216-71 787454, 
tunis.newsroom@reuters.com)) 

[wideawake]

Reuters showing its propensity to cheerlead for militant Islam. Nothing shocking.

[veronica]

Incredible isn't it? The protestors 'braved' a government ban...LOL.

[Pearls Before Swine]

I hope the police beat them at the planned NJ/NY demonstrations, too.

[BrooklynGOP]

Plainclothes police, backed by riot police, stormed the protesters as they passed through Paris street in central Tunis, beating them with truncheons and clubs, the witnesses said.

Anyone got photos?