International Solidarity Movement
10 February 2010
Nine Israeli soldiers kicked in the door of the ISM media office and demanded the passports of the internationals present. The soldiers confiscated a desktop computer used by ISM volunteers.
Two internationals, Ryan Olander of the U.S. and Nick Brown of the U..K., were awoken from their night’s rest as nine Israeli soldiers barged through the door at 4am brandishing M16 fully-automatic assault rifles. Luckily, the door had not yet been repaired from a previous raid on Sunday morning. This facilitated their entry and reduced the damaged they inflicted upon the apartment.
The internationals were taken to a common room and made to present their passports. Upon entering the common room the two men noticed that the computer had been removed from the desk and placed by the door. After verifying that the two men had valid visas, the soldiers attempted to interrogate the internationals about their planned activities for the upcoming weekend. They also inquired as to the whereabouts of the two internationals, Ariadna Jove-Marti and Bridget Chappell, illegally arrested on Sunday morning from the same location. After holding the men for about 45 minutes, they took their leave and politely informed the gentlemen that they were “taking the computer.”
“When I was taken from my bed to the office, I noticed that they had already removed the computer. Presumably, they didn’t expect anyone to be here and were going to have carte blanche to do what they pleased to our office,” said Olander
“Other than stealing the computer, and spoiling our night’s sleep, they seemed to have no clear reason for coming to the apartment. Certainly, they offered no justification for being inside an area in which the Palestinian Authority is supposed to have both civil and military jurisdiction,” said Bryer.