HAMAS BEATS GAZA PROTESTERS

Hamas militiamen beat Gaza protesters (AP)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas militiamen beat protesters with clubs and rifle butts to try to stop a demonstration by political opponents in the Gaza Strip on Monday, but hundreds chanting “We want freedom” defied the ban.

Hamas routed forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement in five days of savage fighting in Gaza in June. The Islamic militant group has tolerated no dissent since taking over the coastal strip.

After Fatah and other allied groups announced plans to stage a rally Monday, Hamas banned “all demonstrations and public gatherings” that did not have special permission. Buses arriving at the demonstration site in a main square were halted by Hamas guards who beat protesters, driving them away and confiscating Fatah flags. Nevertheless, about 300 protesters got past the militia cordon and demonstrated for about 20 minutes, shouting “We want to raise our voice,” before dispersing.

Hamas men arrested several demonstrators and confiscated equipment from news photographers and cameramen seeking to cover the arrests, including an Associated Press camera. The Palestinian journalists’ union called on members to observe a three-day boycott of any events organized by the Hamas force to protest the treatment of the media.