Palestinians protest against US in Ramallah

Palestinians rallied Friday against US diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank city, throwing shoes and shouting slogans outside a restaurant, onlookers said. Police moved the small demonstration away from the Ramallah restaurant where the diplomats were hosting an event for graduates and other beneficiaries of US programs, a Ma'an correspondent said. About 20 activists watched by the police had chanted defiant slogans in English, shouting "Shame on you", "No to American funding" and "Yes we can -- boycott America", Reuters reported. Demonstrators also chanted "USAID go home", and "Shame on you". The protest comes as US Congress members opposed to a bid for statehood at the United Nations are threatening to freeze aid on economic and humanitarian projects deemed vital for peace in the Middle East. Palestinian Authority diplomats said the freeze on money, approved for the Palestinians this year, mixes politics with practical efforts to build peace with Israel and establish a Palestinian state. The PA cabinet, in a statement issued after its weekly meeting on Tuesday, "expressed hope that the US Congress would reconsider the freezing of aid allocated to the Palestinian National Authority".