“We are being treated as if we were criminals”, said Ayed Al Azzeh,
shaking his head. A schoolteacher from Bethlehem, Ayed is one of
thousands of public-sector teachers across the West Bank who have been
striking since February 10th.

The strike comes after teachers
claim the Palestinian Authority (PA) failed to follow through with wage
increases, promised after strikes in 2013. Teachers’ salaries have been
frozen for the past few years, despite rising living costs.

Approximately
20,000 protestors demonstrated in Ramallah upon the launch of the
strike in the largest gathering since Arafat’s death in 2004, initiating
a government crackdown on any further attempts of mass mobilization.

Despite
the efforts of the Palestinian police and army, an estimated 15,000
protestors gathered in Ramallah for a second time on Tuesday, demanding
the government meets their demands.

In an exclusive video for
Mondoweiss, teachers at Tuesday’s protest reveal the obstacles they had
to overcome merely to be present, and why they are resolute to continue
the strike until the government concedes.

Video: Megan Hanna and Maya al-Orzza