At approximately 5pm on Tuesday 13 July 2010, the Gaza police dispersed a peaceful protest of supporters for the Liberation Party (Hizb Al Tahreer) near the Al Maqusi towers in the An-Nasir neighborhood west of Gaza City.
A festival was supposed to be held in commemoration of the party described as the “destruction of the Caliphate” in the same square.
When the police informed the organizers that the festival would not be allowed, they organized the protest.
The police used cudgels and opened fire in the air to disperse the protesters.
The police arrested several activists of the Party throughout the Gaza Strip.
Al Mezan has identified 16 of them.
  As a result of the gun shots, Reham Rabee’ Buzo (Abu Marasa), 10, was shot while she was standing on the balcony of her uncle’s house, which is located on the second floor of the family house opposite the Al Maqusi towers.
 A bullet penetrated her chest and medical sources described her injuries as critical.
  A spokesperson of the Gaza Ministry of Interior said that the police had banned the festival because the organizers did not follow the legal procedures.
Hasan Al Madhoun, a member of the information office at the Party, said that on 9 June 2010 he went to the chief police office, which is located in Gaza City, and notified the chief that the festival would be held on 13 July 2010.
Al Madhoun added that two weeks after his visit to that office a person called him by telephone and introduced himself as being from the Police Operations Department and asked Al Madhoun about the activities of the festival.
 Al Madhoun answered all his inquires.
That person informed Al Madhoun that there were no problems and they were permitted to organize the festival.
Al Madhoun asked him for a written answer, but that person insisted that the verbal answer was sufficient.
He also told Al Madhoun that if any problems occurred, Al Madhoun could phone the Police Operations Department on a telephone number he gave to Al Madhoun.
Al Madhoun also said to Al Mezan that at approximately 11:30pm on Monday 12 July 2010, i.
e.
only 24 hours before the festival’s date, a person called him and introduced himself as bring from the Police Investigations Unit and asked Al Madhoun to present himself at their office at the Ansar security compound.
Al Madhoun declined and that person gave Al Madhoun half an hour to present himself at the apparatus office, or otherwise the festival permit would be cancelled and he would be arrested.
As a result of this call, the Party organized a peaceful protest and the police forcibly dispersed it.
  Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights asserts that the Palestinian Public Meetings Law No.
12 of 1998 provides protections and arrangements that guarantee citizens’ right to organize public meetings without conditioning them on obtaining prior license.
The only procedure required by the law when a public meeting is organized is limited to informing - in writing – the Governor or the Chief of the Police of the meeting at least 48 hours prior to implementing it.
In case the organizers do not receive a response, also in writing, they automatically have the right to organize the meeting in the planned time and place.
  Al Mezan condemns the excessive use of force by the police to disperse a peaceful protest.
Al Mezan also condemns the participation of some persons wearing civilian clothes and carrying cudgels in dispersing the protest.
  Al Mezan calls on the Gaza Government to investigate this incident promptly; particularly as a girl was shot and the source of shooting is not yet known.
Al Mezan also calls on the Gaza Government to examine the procedures used by police to forcibly disperse such protest to ensure compliance by the legal and human rights standards.
Ends