Youth Continue to Demand National Unity in Bethlehem

Saturday March 19, 2011 00:25 by Ghassan Bannoura - PNN Exclusive

Three days after thousands of Palestinian youths rallied in the West Bank and Gaza Strip demanding national unity, a group of youth continued their sit-in Bethlehem’s Manger Square.

Protestors in Manger Square, Bethlehem - Photo © Circarre Parrhesia

“Unity Tent”. This is what the young men and women are calling their tent, that they erected in the square on Tuesday March are 15. The protestors are part of the March 15 Youth coalition which organized rallies in Gaza and West Bank cities demanding national unity and a new Palestinian National Council through one-person, one-vote elections for all Palestinians around the world.

Youth chanted today “People demand national unity… Hamas and Fatah, unity for Palestine” after the midday prayers ended at the nearby mosque.

Joudat Al Sayah, one of the youth in Manger Square told PNN, “We are staying until all our demands are met. We been here for three days so far and we are not leaving until our demands are reached.”

On Tuesday the sit-in started with only 9 youths. Organizers say the number of people joining them in the tent are increasing every day.

“We were 9 on the first day; on Wednesday we became 30 and last night were reached 90 and today we are 100. We expect the number to rise.”

So far the protests tents setup by the youth in Ramallah and Bethlehem have not been attacked by security forces, however on Wednesday night Palestinian police tried to remove the Unity Tent in Bethlehem without success.

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