Palestinian journalists protest against Hamas

Demonstrators in the city centre brandished placards denouncing the politics of "silencing voices."

"We are protesting against violations of the freedom of the press by members of the Executive Force," the Hamas paramilitary wing, a journalist with the Al-Ayam daily, Khalil Shahin, told AFP.

"It is a spontaneous initiative by journalists to make our voices heard and ensure that such aggression does not get worse," he added.

Riyad al-Malki, information minister in the government of Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad, had called aggression against journalists "criminal."

On Friday Executive Force members fired into the air to disperse a demonstration in Gaza City by thousands of supporters of Hamas's rival Fatah, the party of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

An AFP photographer and three other cameramen were briefly detained by the Hamas militiamen at the site of the protest.

Around 30 journalists staged a sit-in outside the Hamas headquarters in Gaza City in protest against the use of live fire to disperse the demonstration, during which one cameraman was lightly wounded.

Hamas fighters tried to arrest two other cameramen filming the rally, but were prevented by the intervention of dozens of bystanders. The journalists' cameras were broken.

Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in mid-June, overrunning pro-Fatah security forces loyal to Abbas after a week of street clashes that killed more than 100 people.

Since its bloody takeover, Hamas has sought to break up pro-Fatah rallies and to prevent journalists from filming such gatherings.

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