121 Hebron and Qalqilya. They also set up barriers at the exits of the towns in the West Bank, especially Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilia, Hebron, Salfit and Bethlehem and arrested the party supporters according to lists they have. On 15 & 16/07/2010, the security forces raided the homes of the party members in the West Bank cities and arrested dozens of the party supporters. They also turned the school yard where the conference was scheduled to be held into a military barracks and a detention place for those being held in the school.”142 On 26/08/2010, a conference was held by a group of Palestinian parties and factions’ leaders, representatives of civil organizations, independent national leaders, and public figures. The conference called was against the Palestinian participation in the direct negotiations, which were scheduled to be held in early September 2010. During the conference, a group of individuals lowered the official banner for the conference and raised another banner with pro‐PLC phrases. As a result of the state of chaos which prevailed in the conference hall, the organizers decided to get out of the hall and not to hold the conference and go out for a peaceful march in front of the hall. But dozens of people continued to disturb and raise banners, accompanied by the organizers who took to the street. Meanwhile, a number of participants were attacked and the peaceful march ended because of the disruption and confusion caused by the same group that was in the hall. ICHR received a group of complaints from political parties’ representatives, including Abdel‐Rahim Mallouh (member of the PLO Executive Committee); Qais Abdul‐Karmim, Deputy Secretary‐General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Haidar Awadallah, member of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian People's Party, Nasif al‐Deek, (a leadership activist in the national Initiative and a member of the Follow‐up Conference Committee); and a group of journalists and human rights defenders who had been attacked, as well as a group of participants. One hour before the conference, at about 11:00 am, it was noticed that groups of individuals reached Protestants Hall. When the conference began, the hall was full of dozens of people who were not invited to the conference. Some of them were known for their work in the General Intelligence Service, and were carrying banners and pictures of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It is noted from most of the complaints received by ICHR and from the notes of its researchers on the obstructions to holding the conference that the Palestinian 142 According to the affidavit of Hizb 2l‐Tahrir of “The Liberation Party” to ICHR.