RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 11 (AFP) - Thousands of Palestinians joined an almost continuous series of marches through the streets of Ramallah Thursday to pay tribute to their veteran leader Yasser Arafat, who died before dawn in a French hospital.
The outpouring of grief was universal as men, women and children, Muslim and Christian alike, marched in a rare show of unity to declare their love and loyalty to the man who dedicated his life to the Palestinian struggle for statehood.
"With our soul, with our blood, we will support you, Abu Ammar," chanted a dozen masked youngsters marching outside Arafat's ravaged Muqataa compound brandishing plastic machineguns, pistols and swords.
All under the age of 12, they waved Palestinian flags and black flags of mourning, their every move carefully coordinated by two adults.
As they marched in front of the battered main gate, a group of grief-stricken women in traditional Palestinian embroidered dresses sang mournful songs.
More chanting broke out as a another group of 200 or so demonstrators led by three Greek Orthodox priests made their way through the rubble-strewn streets, demanding to know how Arafat had died -- details of which are still unclear.
Clutching large posters of Arafat, the priests marched resolutely towards the Muqataa, the ornate crosses around their necks dangling in front of the wizened leader's smiling face.
Ahead of them, some 20 children skipped along, each helping carry a 15-metre (50 foot) long Palestinian flag.
"We want to know how he died," demanded one demonstrator who gave his name as Ahmed. "Many people think he was poisoned but I think it was because of the conditions in the Muqataa while he was under siege," he said.
Before his dramatic airlift to a French military hospital at the end of last month, Arafat had been kept a virtual prisoner in the sprawling headquarters by Israel for nearly three years.
"Arafat understood the nature of the Palestinians, what they wanted and what they needed," said another demonstrator who did not give his name. "I don't think there will ever be another leader who could unify the people like him."
Earlier, at least 3,000 people converged on Manara Square in central Ramallah for a mass march to the Muqataa, led by youngsters from Arafat's mainstream Fatah party.
Cries of "Yasser, Yasser we're coming to you" and "To Jerusalem, millions of martyrs are going" rang through the streets as they marched, the crackle of gunfire splitting the air.
As supporters waved Palestinian flags and brandished portraits of Arafat, some mounted on palm fronds, Fatah activists distributed posters of the symbol of their nation's struggle, one of which read: "Yasser, you are the people and the people cannot die".
Masked gunmen from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, an armed offshoot of Fatah, briefly marched at the head of the cortege, firing shots in the air, before dispersing.
Arafat died early Thursday at the age of 75. He had lain in a coma in a French military hospital outside Paris since the middle of last week.
An official funeral was to be held in Cairo Friday, followed by a burial in the Muqataa.
11/11/2004 16:36 GMT - AFP