Protests, starting in Ramallah and extending to Amman and Geneva, blocked UN offices today, May 9, in calls for the UN to take action to protect the lives of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. The protests were organized by Palestinians for Dignity, a Palestinian youth organization. A Twitter campaign was launched to support the protesters under the hashtag #UNClosed.
Palestinians for Dignity said:
A group of Palestinian youth are preventing United Nations’ employees from resuming their work in Ramallah, demanding that the UN take immediate and practical steps to save the lives of Palestinian political prisoners on hunger strike, especially, the eight hunger strikers whose life is in eminent danger and those who need immediate medical attention. The UN should do more to pressure the Israeli occupier to accept the prisoners’ demands, all of which are in accordance with international law, as well as the Third and Fourth Geneva Accords.
This action followed up on the sending of a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, calling for action on the prisoners. (Download PDF.) Sixteen Minutes to Palestine reported that the protest grew hours after its 7:30 am start, as prisoners’ families joined the protests. Khader Adnan saluted the action and told the protesters that their protest would raise the prisoners’ morale and deliver an important message to international institutions.
Photos were posted, on Facebook:
Protests in Amman:
And in Geneva:
