Three arrested in Ni’lin while filming demonstration

25^th September 2009

In this week’s Friday demonstration, three persons – Swedish, French and Israeli – were taken away by the Israeli armed forces while filming the protest against the Wall. They were taken to the police station in the illegal settlement of Geva Binyamin and released later that night with the condition not to return to Ni’lin or Bil’in for 15 days.

This Friday around 100 persons gathered in Ni’lin to protest against the Wall Israel has built on the village land. The protesters walked together down to the Wall where they last week successfully managed to remove one of its blocks. The Wall was now repaired. The soldiers were waiting on a high earth mound they built behind the Wall to be able to see and attacked the protesters from there.

The protesters moved to the small part of the Wall where it is constructed as a fence and were attacked with tear gas, sound bombs and ‘skunk’ water. Several times the army used the multiple tear gas (32 canisters at the same time) that they fired from their jeeps.

Around 3.30pm, soldiers and border police entered running through the gate towards the protesters. Three persons were standing filming the soldiers and were brutally grabbed and taken away without any explanation. They were taken to the jeeps and later on to the settlement Geva Binyamin. At night they were released with the condition not to be in Ni’lin or Bil’in for 15 days.