Demonstrators from Sarra village danced dubka on a roadblock in defiance of tear gas and sound bombs fired by the Israeli army as part of the Summer Against Apartheid.
Approximately two hundred villagers, supported by international activists, marched to the road block which restricts their freedom of movement. ‘This is Apartheid’ read the banner held by protesters who stood in front of Israeli soldiers, while others began to clear the earth mound road block with shovels.
The soldiers, who had been waiting for the demonstration to arrive, refused to speak with people from the village who tried to explain the action. They responded aggressively with sound bombs and tear gas. Protesters remained at the road block and continued to work to remove it while further armed forces arrived. Soldiers finally agreed to talk with demonstrators and ordered them to leave the area. Instead, young people from the village, dressed in traditional costume, danced dubka, a Palestinian people’s dance, in front of the line of soldiers as other protesters clapped time.
Afterwards, soldiers fired canisters of tear gas at the demonstration as participants walked back to the village.
This was the second in what is to be a series of demonstrations in Sarra against Israel’s apartheid system.