British students act as shields

AN Irish activist was among 30 peace workers acting as human shields to protect the Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat last night, while British students occupied houses near his compound to protect Palestinian civilians.
Caoimhe Butterly, 23, a member of the International Solidarity Movement who has written for Sinn Fein’s newsletter An Phoblacht, has spent three days inside the Muqataa, and was joined yesterday by more than two dozen French, Italian and other westerners.

They and at least one Israeli woman walked past Israeli tanks outside Mr Arafat’s building, even though warning shots were fired. All are defying an Israeli order proclaiming Ramallah a closed military zone where foreigners, journalists and non-residents are liable to instant arrest.

The activists said last night that they would remain in the West Bank town because they believed Palestinians would be killed or rounded up by Israeli forces if they left.