19 February 2011 | Popular Struggle Coordination Committee
During the weekly demonstration five people were injured and dozens suffered from server cases of asphyxia from tear gas. Hundreds of Palestinians joined by Israeli and international solidarity actives marched under the banner of unity and an end to the occupation. Today’s demonstration marked six years of struggle in the village against the wall and the occupation. In that time, Bil’in has become an international symbol of unarmed resistance to Israeli Occupation. Entering the seventh year of resistance, the village called for Palestinian unity and end to the Israeli Occupation, the longest military occupation in modern history.
The demonstration began after midday prayer with a march under Palestine flags and pictures of Jawaher and Bassem Abu Rahmah, who have been killed in demonstrations in Bil’in. Protesters also carried photos of the imprisoned popular committee leader Abdallah Abu Rahmah, who has been in jail for the past 14 months. The demonstrators marched from the village chanting for national union., Demonstrators also confirmed the need for a resounding Palestinian resistance to occupation and the release of all prisoners, and freedom for Palestine.
The march headed towards the barrier, where the military forces of the Israeli occupation army had created a barrier of human soldiers near the gate of the wall of the western side of the fence to prevent demonstrators from entering the land behind the wall, where a large number of soldiers were deployed. Within minutes, soldiers began spraying demonstrators with sewage water mixed with pertochemcials. When protesters tried to cross the barrier towards the soldiers, the army fired sound bombs and bullets coated metal bullets as well as tear gas. Soldiers then began to fire live bullets (.22 caliber) in all directions. Hamza Suleiman Bernat (18 years old) was shot in the back and the leg. He was taken away from the protest and to a Ramallah hospital for treatment. Ahmed Abo Rahma (16 years old) was burned by tear gas canister. Fadi Mustafa Omar (30) and Abdullah Ahmed Yassin (19 years) where sprayed directly in the face with pepper spray by soldiers during the demonstration. Dozens of other demonstrations suffered from tear gas inhalation.