Palestinian Authority forced to release students
By Ahmad Nimer
RAMALLAH, Palestine - Students at Birzeit University celebrated the unconditional release of those imprisoned by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the widespread crackdown that followed the February 26 demonstration against France's Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. Many Palestinians were outraged at the PA security forces' unprecedented entry onto Birzeit to arrest students.
The students were released at midnight on March 6, two days after a hunger strike was launched by more than 150 students at the university. The strikers, who had also been conducting a sit-in at the university cafeteria, welcomed the released students with a party that lasted until morning.
Around 30 students, from all political factions at the university, had been detained. Students reported being beaten and tortured while in jail. One student was threatened with rape by his interrogator at the General Intelligence Headquarters in Ramallah.
Widespread international and local support was critical in winning the students' release. Thousands of messages of support were sent and local delegations visited the students in the cafeteria.
The day after being released, Birzeit students held an open-air festival and invited speakers from other Palestinian universities. One student leader told the large crowd: "The student movement insists that it will oppose any future attempt by the security forcers to enter the campus grounds. We will also play a leading role in protecting freedom of opinion."
The secretary of the university employees' union delivered a speech in which he assured support for the student movement against political repression (many workers were also detained in the crackdown). A speaker from the Regional Union of Arab Students in Israeli Universities presented a message of support to the Birzeit students which emphasised the unity of all Palestinians in rejecting what had occurred.
One of the released students delivered a speech on behalf of the imprisoned students. "It was your struggle which won our release. This is a day of freedom for all Palestinians", he told the crowd.
The release of the students was a significant achievement in the present Palestinian political climate. It is the first time that a popular movement has confronted the PA and won.
The student movement published the following statement to the international community following on March 7: "The Birzeit University student movement sends its deepest thanks to all human rights organisations, media, institutions and individuals who extended their support and solidarity over the last week.
"This solidarity on the local and international level was critical in winning the release of our colleagues arrested by the Palestinian security forces.
"Our thanks go to all those who supported human rights and struggled against the violation of our university campus. You helped us guarantee our right to protest, hold sit-ins and participate in changing our society for the better - aims which were achieved through united, joint struggle with the rest of the institutions in our society."