Palestinian government employees protesting against the non-payment of salaries on Wednesday stormed the Hamas-dominated parliament building in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The demonstrators burst into the Palestinian Legislative Council chamber, which was in session at the time, forcing speaker Dr. Aziz al-Dweik to pronounce a halt to proceedings.
Some protestors ripped up documents on MPs' benches while others brawled with elected deputies in the parliament. According to AFP, various MPs jumped up calling for calm and demanding that the interlopers leave the chamber. The angry crowd also pelted Hamas lawmakers with water bottles, tissue boxes and other small items. Some climbed onto the lawmakers' desks. "We are hungry. We are hungry," the protesters screamed.
It seems many of the protestors were supporters of Fatah faction, which was thrashed by Hamas in January's vote.
After Wednesday's chaos in the parliament, the leader of Hamas' parliamentary faction accused President Abbas of orchestrating the chaos and of contributing to the "siege" on the Hamas government. "We are astonished to see the president say that he wants the prime minister to act as his right-hand man and then he imposes a siege on us," said Salah al-Bardawil. "The president is behaving like a spectator and contributing to the crisis that we are facing," added Bardawil.
