Several rallies held yesterday in Arab villages in the Galilee passed quietly without disturbances. The rallies were held in the memory of six Arabs killed last year on March 30 during demonstrations protesting the proposed confiscation of Arab land in the Galilee. The rallies were the first in the series of demonstrations scheduled this week, reaching a climax Wednesday on what the Arabs call “Land Day”.
The Communist Party and other groups which were active last year in organizing events on March 30, said they would conduct demonstrations and memorial services quietly without a confrontation with security forces. However, fear was expressed that matters might move out of the organizers’ control. The police will apparently stay out of the Arab villages on Wednesday to avoid any possible conflicts.
The only extremist position voiced so far was that of Nazareth Mayor Tawfik Zayad who spoke yesterday in favor of continuing the struggle against land confiscation and called for a general Arab strike on Wednesday.
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