RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ attendance at the funeral of Israeli President Shimon Peres Sept. 30, heading a Palestinian delegation, raised popular anger. This anger escalated after Palestinian security members in civilian clothes, who were participating in a Fatah march in support of Abbas, attacked a youth march (according to the participants) — which was called for on Facebook — in Ramallah's city center on Oct. 4 to express opposition to Abbas' attendance, injuring a number of participants, most notably Muhanad Karaja, a lawyer with human rights organization Al-Dameer.
Karaja told Al-Monitor that a group of youths who wanted to organize a march in Ramallah invited him in his capacity as lawyer of Al-Dameer to document any attacks by security forces.