Anne Paq writing from Ramallah, occupied West Bank, The Electronic Intifada, 17 January 2008
So US President George W. Bush came to Ramallah, and of course the city was turned upside down. The Palestinian Authority (PA) wanted to show that they were up to the task of handling the security.
I managed to get a press pass and I was cynical but curious to see how the big show would go down. All the photographers and journalists were told to come at 6am at a certain location so that they could be taken all together to the Muqata’a, the PA’s headquarters.
I did not want to play this game. I wanted to document the “behind the scenes” of the visit and to feel the atmosphere of the streets. I wanted to show the absurdity of it all, the big circus that the PA agreed to host. I was also told that there would be some demonstrations and I did not want to miss them.