Police disperse PA's 'Palestinian Culture Festival' events in Jerusalem

[Douglas Carpenter]

By Jonathan Lis and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents, staff and Reuters

Jerusalem Police yesterday dispersed several small events scheduled for the Palestinian Culture Festival, meant to declare the city "the capital of Arabic culture for 2009."

The Palestinian Authority had organized the event, and activities were to be held in Jerusalem and Nazareth, as well as Gaza, Lebanon and Bethlehem. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was scheduled to kick off the celebrations from his headquarters in Ramallah.

The law prohibits the Palestinian Authority from staging any events in the Jerusalem municipality.

As of yesterday afternoon, police had shut down eight events and arrested 20 people who were believed to be the organizers.

The detainees included two employees of Al-Quds University who were planning to hand out T-shirts promoting the festival. Police also prevented students from entering the university campus.

At a school on Nablus Road, police broke up a soccer game planned as part of the culture festival. They also dispersed a gathering of young girls at the al-Hiyala club, blocked a group of students with PLO flags from reaching the Temple Mount, and prevented a similar event on Haroun el-Rashid road.

snip: ""The event planned for Saturday evening was initiated by the municipality of Nazareth and sponsored by the Palestinian Authority, and was meant to be a cultural event," said Barakeh.

"This government is not only an enemy of any hope for peace, but also an enemy of culture and all that is humane," Barakeh added. "There is a fact that all of Israel's deluded efforts cannot change, and that is that Al-Quds will be the capital of Palestine.""

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072804.html

[Violet_Crumble]

1. Quashing Palestinian culture in Jerusalem - yet, that's more great PR for Israel n/t