• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

Palestinians protest lack of pay

Adjust font size:

GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Hundreds of Palestinian police officers took to the streets of Gaza City Saturday to protest the lack of paychecks, while dozens of Palestinians stormed a West Bank health clinic demanding vaccinations for their children, according to a witness and Palestinian security sources.

The cash-strapped Palestinian government, led by the Islamic militant movement Hamas, has been unable to pay police or other government workers for the past eight months.

Journalist Talal Abu-Rahmi told CNN he saw the police demonstrators shoot their guns into the air, throw stones and break into the parliament building in Gaza City. He said one Palestinian was injured in the protest.

Some of the protesters accused the Hamas government of paying their own special security force while not paying the police officers who were hired when the Fatah party was in charge of the Palestinian Authority.

In the West Bank town of Jenin, hundreds of Palestinian security workers also staged a protest against non-payment of their salaries, security sources said.

Also in the West Bank, Palestinians broke into a Hebron health clinic as they demanded their children be vaccinated, security sources said.

Journalist Talal Abu-Rahmi in Gaza City contributed to this report.

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

---

• Mumbai survivor: It's like a dead man living
• Dawkins: Evangelist an 'idiot' on evolution
• Philippines 'most dangerous' for media
• In holiday tradition, Obama pardons turkey
• Massive icebergs floating towards coast of New Zealand

• Irish PM to quit over payments scandal
• NATO chief: Afghan troop increase likely
• Militants hunted as calm retuns to Basra
• Pressure on Bush to skip Olympics
• BA sending misplaced T5 baggage to Milan

• Recruiting suicide bombers (2:50)
• London was lucky (2:36)
• Cars in London rigged as bombs (3:48)
• Second explosives-packed car foun (2:32)
• Soviet culture returns (3:47)