Nearly a month after some 1,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails launched a mass, historic hunger strike demanding better conditions as political prisoners imprisoned by the apartheid state, Palestinians showed their solidarity Monday with a second general strike.
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Palestinians Hold General Strike to Support Prisoners
The strike saw transportation services, shops, businesses, banks and schools shut down in support of the hunger-striking prisoners.
The general strike took place in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, where it had also taken place weeks ago on the 11th day of the hunger strike, the first time since the First Palestinian Intifada, which ended in 1993.
The Palestinian prisoners’ movement called for Monday’s strike, along with a call for people to observe a 12-hour “hunger strike” in solidarity as well.
In occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli Mayor Nir Barakat released a statement Sunday ordering that all schools should continue to operate as usual.
While #Trump is visiting the old city of #Jerusalem , #Palestinian declare a general strike and all shoos are closed pic.twitter.com/79U3aaPulK
— Nasser Atta (@nasseratta5) May 22, 2017
General strike across West Bank & occupied East Jerusalem today in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike Day 36 pic.twitter.com/Gx06xN5QC9
— OccPal-Gaza (@OccPalGaza) May 22, 2017
But the head of the union of parents' committees, Ziyad al-Shamali, remained defiant, saying that schools would close in solidarity "because Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian homeland," Palestinian media outlet Ma’an reported.
The strike took place in protest of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Israel, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The committee for the Freedom and Dignity strike has also marked Tuesday as a “Day of Rage”, as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is also set to meet Trump that day.