Demonstration against the Apartheid Wall in Ni’lin

15th January 2009

After the women and children demonstration the protest against the Wall continued. The demonstration was attacked with teargas and sound bombs. The soldiers entered the village and kidnapped and brutally beat an international man who was later released.

The demonstrators were halted before they reached the olive fields on the outskirts of the town. Around 50 Palestinians, International and Israeli activists were fired upon with teargas including the new teargas. The army was so close that the teargas was falling into the centre of town. Many people suffered from teargas inhalation and two people were hit with the canisters requiring medical treatment.

This continued until after a large barrage of teargas and sound bombs the army entered the town from the olive fields. The army on foot ran down the streets pointing their rifles around corners and into doorways and shooting teargas down the streets.

An International activist was left stranded when the army fired a concentration of teargas and sound bombs as they made a rapid approach into the village causing the demonstrators to flee back to the town centre. The activist had stayed behind a house when he was suffering from teargas inhalation and when the army advanced he was trapped behind them. A following group of soldiers to the ones who entered the town found the activist who immediately put his hands up. The army responded by beating him with their rifle buts along with kicking and hitting him as they led him into the olive fields using a dirt road. Along with beating the activist they also stuck the firing end of their rifle into his neck and pushed him up against a wall. After kidnapping the international activist the soldiers withdrew form the town and when they were leaving though the olive fields they released the international hostage.

I was here when they murdered Arafat and Mohamed, the way the army were acting when they came into the town made me think they were going to do something similar. I was afraid for my life when they would find me and I feel if I was Palestinian they would have just shot me.