(A Fatah militant fires into the air in front of the Palestinian parliament building in the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday. Firing into the air, Fatah gunmen stormed Palestinian parliament buildings on Saturday and demanded the party leadership resign following a crushing election defeat by Hamas. Source: CRIENGLISH/Reuters)

Palestinian policemen demonstrated on Saturday before the parliament building in Gaza City out of fear that Hamas, which won the parliamentary elections, would control the Interior Ministry, which controls the police.

  Witnesses said some 40 police members and officers protested in front of the headquarters of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in the city.

Palestinian police chief Alah Hossni was at the scene and tried to persuade demonstrators to leave, which caused no damage or injuries.

Hossni assured the protestors that Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, would not control the Ministry of Interior and would not control the Palestinian police or the national security forces.

Meanwhile, thousands of Fatah movement activists marched in several West Bank areas to voice anger for Fatah's bitter defeat by Hamas, a radical militant group, in the parliamentary elections.In Ramallah, some 400 Fatah gunmen marched on the streets,demanding the resignation of Fatah leaders.

In Bethlehem, about 400 Fatah activists also took over a Fatah office with the same demand.