Israeli security forces intervened three times yesterday to disperse demonstrations and political meetings in the Ramallah area protesting the closing by Israeli officials of Bir Zeit University last week.
A meeting at the Ramallah municipality, attended by some 200 students and professional and trade organization representatives, was stopped by military government order. Ramallah Mayor Karim Khalaf was summoned for questioning by the military governor and warned against permitting use of the municipal premises for political gatherings.
A group of 70 leftwing Israeli academicians came to the university campus yesterday to demonstrate sup-
port for their Palestinian counterparts. The group entered the campus, despite security guards, and then went to Ramallah to distribute protest leaflets against the closing of the university. They were led by Dr. Avi Oz of Tel Aviv University and Prof. Daniel Amit of Hebrew University.
The university was closed indefinitely after three days of anti-Israel demonstrations. The Israel Supreme Court ordered the Defense Ministry to set a reasonable period for the shutdown, ruling that otherwise it would consider an appeal by a university staff member and the Students Union against the closing.
The security forces also dispersed yesterday a demonstration by girls in Al-Bireh, near Ramallah and prevented a demonstration in Nablus. A military court in Nablus on Friday fined three students found guilty of inciting demonstrations. The fines ranged from 3,000 shekels up to 8,000 shekels or 10 months jail. There were several minor demonstrations today.
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