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11 arrested in Palestinian crackdown
 Scuffles break out at a demonstration against the arrests |
A number of Palestinian intellectuals and professionals have been arrested for accusing Yasser Arafat's authority of being corrupt and tyrannical.
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In the document they accused Mr Arafat of turning a blind eye to corruption by Palestinian Authority officials.
"Alarm bells should ring in every village, town and refugee camp as well as in every corner, every shop, home and office," they said.
 Students attend a rally given by one of the signatories of the letter |
Nine Palestinian parliamentarians who also signed the statement, criticised the arrest of their colleagues. The deputies have parliamentary immunity from arrest.
The crackdown sparked protests across the West Bank.
At Najah university in Nablus, hundreds of students attending a festival to remember Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, pledged their support for those arrested in connection with the letter.
 More land is despoiled, Jewish settlements have grown, they plot behind closed doors against refugees  |
| Opposition letter |
Mr Saleh, a former minister in the Palestinian Authority, told the students the fight against corruption would continue "until the last breath".
The arrests have also prompted condemnation from human rights groups and Palestinian political factions.
The radical Popular Front from the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) warned of a violent backlash against the arrests, which it described as "dictatorial".
A number of groups, including the PFLP, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the militant Muslim Hamas and Islamic Jihad issued a joint statement rejecting "all forms of political terrorism".
'Civil revolution'
The Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group described the petition as the "beginning of a civil revolution".
"This could be the first step towards changing the system, therefore we look upon these arrests as outrageous," the group said.
The letter, which was signed by members of Mr Arafat's mainstream Fatah faction, also registered disappointment with the peace process with Israel.
In it, the signatories said they were "hurt deeply by what has become of sacred Palestinian Arab land," which they said the authority had promised to turn into a "new Singapore", following the 1993 Oslo peace accords with Israel.
"After six years, more land is despoiled, Jewish settlements have grown, they plot behind closed doors against Palestinian refugees and our sons are kept behind bars in Israeli jails," the letter said.
'Lies'
The Palestinian Authority described the letter as malicious lies and called on the deputies to retract it.
But one signatory, Rawiyah al-Shawwa, accused other parliamentarians of distorting the message of the letter, which was made public.
"Our aim was only to raise our voices to the president and we were sure he would act to restore unity and in the public interest," he said.
It is unclear whether the 10 men and one woman will face trial.
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