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The 2019 Gaza economic protests began in February, and it was initiated with the popular calls "We want to live" and “Revolt of the hungry” by groups of civilians and activists. The group has been nicknamed the 14 March movement.

The protests aim at the overall dire conditions of living in the Gaza Strip. Half of the 2 million residents live in poverty. Civilians claimed that the nonviolent protests were not meant to threaten the current ruling power, but rather asking to improve social and economic conditions. Among their requests, one is to strengthen labour organizations to safeguard workers’ rights, ease taxes, reduce the extremely high costs of living, and establish check and balance mechanisms to contrast corruption within the private sector. The majority of the protestors were young people who cried out about the urgency of labour reforms. According to the World Bank, Gaza’s economic conditions are in decline every year, with a rate of youth unemployment of 70 percent.

Over the last decade, Gazans were already dependent on external humanitarian aid. The already difficult due to internal mismanagement worsened also due to "Trump’s drastic cuts to US-funded Palestinian aid programme", the continued war crimes by the hand of Israel, and the lack of support from the Palestinian Authority.

The peaceful protests were brutally crushed by the ruling Hamas, which dispatched security forces to disperse people. The neutralization by Hamas saw a spillover of violence: there have been reports of armed patrols breaking into people’s homes, mass arrests and beatings in Gaza City, Jabaliya refugee camp, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah. Although there are no killings recorded, over 1000 people got threatened, beaten, and detained. Journalists, photographers and activists were forbidden to cover the manifestation. Local correspondents who were able to document parts of the protests have been assaulted by Hamas officers.

Numerous political organisations and human rights groups condemned the aggressive repression by the hand of Hamas security forces to the nonviolent demonstrations. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) denounced their actions as “a crime and violation according to the national and international laws”, and urged the security forces to “respect the right to peaceful assembly and right to freedom of expression”. Human Rights Watch reported that "Hamas authorities routinely arrest and torture peaceful critics and opponents with impunity." Amnesty International called for a “thorough and transparent investigation into the unnecessary and excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture and other ill-treatment by security forces.” Supporting groups of the demonstrators directed attention to a number of domestic political issues that worsened since the Israeli and Egyptian blockade in 2007 and the takeover of Hamas. Among those, the rivalry between Hamas and Fatah resulted in the failure to assure stability and security, notwithstanding the financial pressure put on by the Palestinian Authority.

The Hamas-led government responded with apologies on behalf of the security forces for the attacks on Palestinians and condemned their conduct. The protests were described as a moment that shook Hamas' authority since their takeover in 2007.