Ali Waked | YNet News
20 November 2009
Some 400 Palestinians, left-wing activists take part in weekly demonstration against separation fence’s route in West Bank village of Naalin, say IDF violated law by dispersing crowd with sniper fire. Army says protestors were hurling stones.
Two Palestinians were moderately injured Friday afternoon by Israel Defense Forces fire during the weekly rally against the separation fence in the West Bank village of Naalin, southwest of Ramallah. The army said the protesters hurled stones and rioted.
Some 400 protesters, including Palestinians and left-wing Israel and foreign activists took part in the demonstrations. According to the protesters, the IDF violated the law by using live ammunition in the form of “tutu bullets” while attempting to disperse the crowd. The claim has not been confirmed by Israeli sources.
Earlier, the IDF conveyed a message to the protestors that the demonstrations would be handled in an aggressive manner.
The weekly protests, which often end with injuries and sometimes even fatal casualties, have become a routine event every Friday. The rallies usually take place in the villages of Naalin and Bilin, although last Saturday six protesters were detained during an anti-fence demonstration in a village near Tulkarem. At the same time, two protesters and one Border Guard officer were injured in Naalin.
In last week’s incident, protesters also claimed that the security forces reinstated the use of Ruger rifles, which have been deemed live fire by the military prosecution. The IDF confirmed the use of the rifles, which can be used to fire live ammunition with relatively low force.
In June a Palestinian was killed during an anti-fence protest in Naalin, assumedly from ammunition fired from a Ruger rifle. Four additional Palestinians were injured in the incident.