Protests cancel Hamas PM's speech

The protesters want Hamas to pay back outstanding wages

Palestinian PM Ismail Haniya has postponed a speech to parliament after
people protesting over unpaid wages mobbed his vehicle in Gaza City.

One woman was hurt in clashes with Mr Haniya's bodyguards, who fired their
guns in the air to disperse the crowd.

Thousands of civil servants have not been paid since Mr Haniya's Hamas party
won elections earlier this year.

Mr Haniya was to have met lawmakers on Monday to discuss forming a possible
coalition with the rival Fatah party.

But Fatah politicians decided to boycott his appearance in parliament.

A leading Fatah lawmaker said Mr Haniya's security entourage had attacked
opposition politicians.

"In protest, we have decided to boycott this session and suspend it," Azam
al-Ahman told the Associated Press news agency.

Fatah's talks aimed at forming a coalition with Hamas have been put on hold
at least until Fatah leader and President of the Palestinian Authority,
Mahmoud Abbas, returns from the US.

'Too much anger'

Hundreds of civil servants surrounded Mr Haniya's car as it approached the
parliament building in Gaza City.

"Haniya, where are our salaries?" the crowd chanted, hitting the vehicle and
blocking its way.

Guards for the Hamas leader responded by wrestling with the protesters and
firing bullets into the air.

Mr Haniya said the protests showed democracy had gone too far.

"This is democracy with too much sugar," he told the AFP news agency.

More than 150,000 Palestinian civil servants and government employees have
not received full wages since Hamas was voted into office six months ago.

The Hamas government's coffers have been drained by an aid embargo imposed
by western nations who want to force the group to renounce violence and
recognise Israel.

The aid freeze has caused an economic crisis among the Palestinians, a
quarter of whom depend on government salaries.

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 Elect a terrorist organization for government, can't figure out where your
paycheck is...

 My personal favorite:

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Hopes and fears

Can Hamas and Fatah really put aside their differences and forge a unity
government?

Which reminds me:

Heard in Iraq today by a government leader- "We were going to discuss changing the laws regarding
women today, but it turns out that the only politician who cares is in America right now, so we'll
wait till he gets back.  It's much more fun to laugh at the guy when he's standing right in front of
you."