What Harriet Sherwood won't report: Palestinians beaten by PA police

Over the past several days hundreds of Palestinians have been demonstrating in Ramallah (and in other PA-controlled cities) in protest against diplomatic contacts with Israel and to denounce police violence at a previous rally.

On Saturday seven Palestinians were arrested after PA police used violence to quell the protests.

Ten Palestinians were hospitalized, including a few journalists who were beaten as they tried to cover the event.

“They beat them badly,” a witness told Ma’an.

The injured journalists were identified as Muhammad Jaradat, Hassan Faraj and Waed Barghouti.

Here are some photos of the violence:

According to Ynet, many of the protesters were chanting “We want your head Mofaz” as well as “The people want the fall of Oslo.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR9IrAYx4r0&feature=player_embedded]

Regarding MSM coverage of the incident, CAMERA observed:

“…the major media outlets, usually so quick to run photos of Palestinians [demonstrating against Israel], has almost entirely ignored the story. Not a word from the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, CNN, New York Times, International Herald Tribune and others.”

Quite predictably, there hasn’t been a word about the incident from the human rights crusading Guardian journalist assigned to the region, Harriet Sherwood.

It is difficult to figure out which dynamic is most revealing about the story:

Palestinians in Ramallah were motivated to take to the streets and protest at the mere prospect of peace talks with Israel.
Journalists were beaten by Palestinian security personnel.
The Guardian has no interest in allowing their readers a glimpse into the reality of Palestinian society.

Either way, those genuinely seeking to learn more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (beyond the headlines, clichés and invectives), are deprived, by the media gatekeepers, of information which may challenge their pre-conceived notions.