11 September 2009
Two injured and dozens were suffocated in Bil’in due to tear gas which was thrown at them by the Israeli soldiers, during their participation in the weekly demonstration against the construction of the wall and settlements. The two: Ashraf Abu Rahmah and Khamees Abu Rahmah. As Bil’in citizens participated in a demonstration after Friday prayers, with a group of international peace activists and Israeli peace movements members, the demonstrators raised up the Palestinian flags and banners calling for an end the incursions, night raids and arrests, and calling for the release of all detainees, and to stop building settlement and the confiscations of Palestinian lands.
The demonstrators walked in the village streets’, chanting national slogans condemning the occupation polices, and when the demonstrators approached the gate of the wall which they tried to open, the Israeli soldiers sprayed them with gas and sound bombs, causing tow injured and dozens of suffocation cases.
On the other hand, a delegation from the German and Swedish diplomats visited the village yesterday as they have listened to an explanation from the Popular Committee in Bil’in on the experience of their resistance to the wall. Subsequently they have toured to the wall thus they saw the negative effects caused by the wall on the villagers. Although they have seen the yards around the wall full of empty sound and gas bombs, which were used to suppress the demonstrators.
At another level, the Popular Committee condemned the Israeli government decisions relating to increasing housing units in settlements and land confiscation. As the popular committee called the International organizations to move quickly to stop such schemes, and called for boycotting punishment procedures against Israel. Although at the official level the committee has asked the PA for an Arabic and International action, in order to stop such occupation schemes. While at the popular level, the committee has invited the citizens to get out into the streets in popular protest marches and demonstrations with participation of international and Israeli peace movements to defend their land.