Protest Watch: The Gaza Strip

Meanwhile, in Gaza:

Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip are concerned about the effects of the upheaval in the Arab world, as Facebook messages call on Gaza residents to demonstrate against Hamas rule on Friday.

Several thousand people have joined the Facebook group calling for a protest against Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip. Another Facebook group is calling for protests against the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Far fewer people have expressed interest in that page, but Palestinian leaders in the West Bank also recognize that the protests in Tunisia and Egypt could spill over into Palestinian territory.

In what seems to be an effort to hold off possible demonstrations, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the Palestinian Authority will hold municipal elections in the near future, and senior Fatah officials said they are considering general elections as well.

In Gaza City, Hamas police used force earlier this week to disperse a small rally showing solidarity with Egyptian protesters. Police officers dressed in civilian clothing arrested six women and detained some 20 others, according to Human Rights Watch.

For an interactive map of the state of protest in different North African and Middle Eastern nations, go here.

Comments

[James Ard]

I thought Hamas was an example of Democracy in action. Do you mean it's possible that even a democratically elected government can oppress the citizenry? The real problem isn't the form of government, the real problem is people can't afford food.

[Tim]

WIth HAMAS your first democratic election is your last. One man, one vote, one time.

[Old Mexican]

Re: James Ard,

Do you mean it's possible that even a democratically elected government can oppress the citizenry?

NO, because a democratically elected government IS the citizenry, and the citizenry cannot oppress itself! Uh, at least that's what Tony told me...

[PIRS]

It will be interesting to see how the Conservatives who railed against Hamas when they won the elections in the Palestinian territories will react if popular protests force them out of power. Then we should compare this to those same people react to the protests in Egypt.

[Irub]

They won't have to. Hamas won't hesitate to suppress any kind of uprising with deadly force. Look up Hamas - Fatah civil war - they did precisely that.

[TumiRumi]

OK, this really makes a lot of sense dude, Wow.

privacy-tools.au.tc

[Tim]

The middle east has more flavors of despotism than Charlie Sheen has strains of gonorrhea.

[Old Mexican]

Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip are concerned about the effects of the upheaval in the Arab world, as Facebook messages call on Gaza residents to demonstrate against Hamas rule on Friday.

"They are Astroturf!"

[.]

Can't get enough of that revolution-via-social-networking meme. Who needs a plan, leadership, philosophy...we have Facebook!

[P Brooks]

Remind me, how did Hamas win the election?

Could it have been because Fatah and the grizzled little toad who ran it were so corrupt Hamas could actually present themselves as superior option?

[Brett L]

Wasn't he dead of AIDS before that? Or were you not talking about Arafat?

[Lost_In_Translation]

When you have no job, no food, no future, protesting is as good an occupation as anything. Oppressive governments that meet the above rarely get protested out of power.

[Aresen]

Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip are concerned about the effects of the upheaval in the Arab world, as Facebook messages call on Gaza residents to demonstrate against Hamas rule on Friday.

Sauce for Mubarak is sauce for the Mullahs, I guess.

[Colonel_Angus]

When thousands of people on Facebook say they will do something, only about fifty are going to show up.

[Aresen]

That's been true ever since Marcus Junius Brutus tried to get the people out against Ceasar.

[Very Popular Girl]

Are you saying that my 33,527 friends are not real?

[P Brooks]

Or were you not talking about Arafat?

I was, indeed.

[DADIODADDY]

Not to hijack the thread, but I was trying to look at the Drudge link to a story that Anderson Cooper had been hit in the head ten times by demonstrators in Eygpt. My companies web filter would not allow it as it was deemed "Entertainment"

[DADIODADDY]

Hamas...ground up chick peas with olive oil, lemon & garlic?

[hurly buehrle]

Easy mistake; I get Hizbullah and tabbouleh mixed up all the time.

[DADIODADDY]

yeah, I can really see that, on the one hand terrorist organization on the other tempting side dish/condiment

[P Brooks]

I wish everybody whom Anderson Cooper attempted to interview would administer a severe beating.

[Brett L]

This seems like good news:

"TUNIS ? Tunisia's interim government moved to take back control of the country's security forces on Wednesday, firing dozens of senior allies of fallen dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi's new administration axed 30 top police officials, appointed a top military officer to head up the national security service and named new chiefs for seven key regions in the country."

[R C Dean]

One thing you can be sure of, if Hamas reacts to this by machine-gunning people in the streets and dragging them out of bed to "disappear", there won't be a peep about it from the "international communitay".

[WTF]

One thing you can be sure of, if Hamas reacts to this by machine-gunning people in the streets and dragging them out of bed to "disappear", there won't be a peep about it from the "international communitay".

Unless they're blaming it on Israel.

[Tulpa]

I'll find a way.