Palestinian Authority Deploys Forces During Protest Set Off by Abbas Critic's Death
Voice of America
RAMALLAH, WEST BANK - The Palestinian Authority (PA) deployed security forces Saturday to confront protesters who took to the streets of Ramallah in the West Bank after one of President Mahmoud Abbas's biggest critics died in custody.
Nizar Banat had been arrested by PA forces who broke into a relative's house where he was staying in the early hours of Thursday and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod before arresting him, according to Banat's family. Banat's death has sparked three days of protests in the occupied West Bank and calls from the international community for an inquiry. On Saturday, Palestinian security officers lined the streets and blocked protesters by hitting them with their fists and clubs, Reuters video showed.
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