Palestinian police fire in the air to break up West Bank riots

Violence mounted Monday in most Palestinian towns in riots over the rising cost of living and the failure to pay wages to government employees. Police fired in the air and used stun grenades especially in Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron and Jenin to break up crowds throwing rocks, burning tires and smashing windows. On the third day of disturbances, demonstrators calling until now for Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s dismissal turned their ire on Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas.