Palestinian factions in Gaza stage a protest against media blackout

Sunday August 03, 2008 21:40 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

Representatives of various Palestinian factions in Gaza, excluding the ruling Hamas party, staged a protest on Sunday in Gaza city, against what they are calling 'a media blackout', the Hamas government has been practicing towards local media outlets.

The demonstration came following the Hamas interior ministry closure of the People's Voice Radio Station in Gaza, which is linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Zoelfaqqar Swairjo, head of the radio station, expressed astonishment in a press conference during the protest of the Hamas decision, calling for an immediate halt of all such practices against media outlets.

From his part, the PFLP's representative, Jamil Mezher, condemned the action , saying it’s a repression of freedoms and a media blackout.

Khaled Al-Batch, representative of the Islamic Jihad group in Gaza, urged the rival Hamas and Fatah parties to return to national dialogue swiftly, considering the 'critical moments' the Palestinian people are going through.

Scores of Hamas-led police forces broke yesterday into the premises of the People's Voice Station and ordered its closure.

An interior ministry's statement read that the closure was due to what the statement considered 'unfair reporting of Saturday's clashes between the police and a Gaza clan,' which is linked to the Fatah party.

gaza strip | internal unrest | news report rami at imemc dot org