Left: Israeli Cobra helicopters hover motionless above the scene. An hour earlier they had strafed houses and wounded many people. Photo by Nigel Parry.

Their relative silence and motionlessness were creepy. I mean, here we are in Ramallah, a place known for its restaurants and cafes. We drive down this road every time we go into Jerusalem. It's landmarks, Orabi Rent-A-Car and the Tourist Hotel, are unremarkable.

Suddenly, in same this banal setting, we have been transported into the middle of the set of Apocalype Now, except that this familiar metaphor doesn't work here, because the blood on the streets is real and not a Hollywood effect.

I tell you, all these years of watching war movies and television violence serve to alienate you from reality when you see the real thing. Your reference point is something you're used to being able to pause and rewind. Here, its so out of your control it's not funny.

Right: Palestinian Police, after another bloody day, line up to push back the demonstrators from the border of Areas "A" and "C", where the Israelis are stationed. We're still at Khammara/Ma'alufiyyeh, by the way, and these names will become synonymous with these days in the years to come. Photo by Nigel Parry.

There has been a lot of debate about when Arafat will rein in his security forces. It was obvious from the beginning that the opening fire by the Palestinian Police in Ramallah - which, as it was reported on the radio was taken up by other policemen in Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Gaza, etc., - was spontaneous.

It then became obvious, when it didn't stop immediately, that Arafat was letting it continue. Now it seems, he has reined in his security forces. The demonstrations that sparked all of this were called by Arafat. I am convinced, although Israeli government spokespersons will tell you differently, that he did not anticipate what happened.

As to the question of whether the Ramallah demonstation, which "started" the rest of them, was a result of Arafat's call for protest, I would say not. There were many students at the demonstration who wouldn't eat a three-course meal if Arafat asked them to. It just so happened that they were going to protest anyway. For the majority of students, Arafat had nothing to do with it.

Left: Palestinians argue with the Palestinian Police trying to clear the area. Photo by Nigel Parry

Scenes like this were strange to watch. People seemed to be arguing with the police, "Well, you had you're chance, why are you stopping us going down there?"

Palestinian Police are not like regular police. They police a population and area that has seen the act of disrespecting authority as a positive value. As a result, in situations like these, you tend to see the Palestinian Police reasoning with people rather than arresting them, as would happen in the West.

Having said that, a few over-zealous demonstrators were presented with a night's free "hotel" accomodation in the Ramallah prison until they cooled down.

Right: A Palestinian, injured in the attempt to move back the demonstrators, complains to a policeman as friends try to help him back to the center of Ramallah. Photo by Nigel Parry

The policeman talking to him is saying something like, "I know. I'm sorry it happened, but we have to clear the area right now and don't have time for this. Go."

The danger the Palestinian Police face is being perceived as an enemy of the people. When they stop people protesting against the Israelis, the people don't understand. In fact, many of the police themselves will have been veterans of many a demonstration against Israeli soldiers. How times change.

One effect of these events was to wash away a lot of the bad feeling towards the Palestinian Authority. Reports of human rights abuses and corruption in the Authority had made people angry in the post-Oslo period. To see Palestinians fighting face-to-face with Israelis, with weapons, and actually 'killing a few of them for a change', gave people a new respect for them and for themselves. When you perceive yourself as the victim or underdog for so long, hitting back at your oppressors - rightly or wrongly - gives you a new feeling of your own power, that is cherished.