Report from Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Apartheid Wall and Settlements
To visit the Bil’in village website click here
Video courtesy of Emad Bornat
Friday 31 October 2008
For the past four years, the village of Bil’in has been protesting against the wall and settlement building. Today, another protest marched after the Friday prayer, joined by international and Israeli activists. The protest marked the 52nd anniversary of the massacre of Kifr Qasem and 91st of the Balfour Agreement. The protesters condemned these events and the Israeli occupation police. They also held the world, especially the US and Britain, accountable for the conditions that Palestinians live in and for their support of Israel in their colonialist plans in Palestine. The protesters raised the Palestinian flag and banners calling to end the Israeli occupation, stop settlement building, bombing civilian areas and assaulting Palestinian detainees.
The vice president of the European Parliament, Luisa Morgantini, joined the protest with one other parliamentarian, Chris Davis. The delegation showed solidarity with the residents of Bil’in in particular and the Palestinian people in general with their right to struggle against the Apartheid Wall and have freedom. The soldiers came through the gate, pushed Luisa Morgantini and Chris Davis who fell down to the ground.
When the protest reached the wall, the Israeli army closed the gate to stop the protesters from going through. The army fired sound grenades, tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets at the protesters while they were trying to open the gate. Dozens suffered tear gas inhalation and seven were injured, two from France, Ponal and José, who was already injured the last time he participated. The other injured people are Mai-soon Azam from El-Arabyia Canal TV, Iyad Burnat, Adib Aburahma, Camel El-Khatib and ABdallah Aburahma.
A French delegation of the International Civil Campaign for the Protection of the Palestinian People (CCIPPP), another group from Belgium, Enseignants pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient (EPJPO), as well as a group from Nanterre, France, joined the protest today and also listened to a presentation by the Bil’in committee about the village’s struggle against the wall.
A music band from the USA, called Olive Trees Circus, played guitar, accordion, and sung for peace in the middle of the action.
The Popular Committee of Bil’in expressed their solidarity with the people of Gaza, and the appreciation of the efforts of the crew of the ship of hope in their attempt to break the siege.