Category: Reports

Cycling for Freedom of Movement

30 June 2011 | International Solidarity Movement

70 cyclists from Hebron and surrounding areas, as well as 15 international cyclists, pedaled through Hebron on Tuesday in an attempt to challenge restrictions imposed on the freedom of movement. The group set off from near the centre of the city and cycled in unison through the streets of Hebron, waving Palestinians flags. Bikes were decorated with signs saying “We have the right to move”, “The wheels of change are in motion”, and “Bikes against borders” in English and Arabic.

The demonstration was guided by the Palestinian National Cycling Team and included both children and adults who demanded the right to move freely, cycle, and play in their city without the threat of violence and intimidation from the Israeli occupation forces. As the bikers moved through the streets, people waved, shouted and honked in support.

As the cyclists tried to cycle towards the Old City they found that the demonstration’s route had been blocked by 30 border police and soldiers, as well as two barbed wire fences stretched across the street. The group peacefully asked the border police to let them pass and continue their journey as soldiers pointed guns at them from the roofs of a nearby house. The police and the soldiers informed the cyclists that the street had been declared “a closed military zone,” but refused to show a document proving it. The cyclists were ordered to turn back and leave the area, without being given any explanation for the street closure other than usual ambiguous “security reasons”. The group stayed at the road blockade for 20 minutes, peacefully negotiating with the soldiers and stating their opposition to violation of their right to freedom of movement. Finally, the cyclists moved away from the barbed wire and the Israeli occupation forces and continued their demonstration on an alternative route for another 30 minutes.

Palestinian man still under arrest after demonstration in Beit Ommar on Saturday

29 June 2011 | International Solidarity Movement

Two international activists are released following their arrest and court hearing in Jerusalem, while a Palestinian man is still under custody following a peaceful demonstration in Beit Ommar that occurred on June 25th.

The two international activists and a 22 year old Palestinian were brutally arrested during a peaceful demonstration in Beit Ommar, in the southern region of the West Bank. The non-violent demonstration took place  there  and was nearing its end when approximately ten Israeli soldiers and border police arrested the 22 year old Palestinian man with force. The man’s t-shirt was ripped into pieces as he was being arrested. He was restrained to the ground and kneed in the chest. A soldier later twisted his handcuffs aggressively, contorting the man’s wrists, cutting the man on both wrists.  When trying to reach the Palestinian man and assist him, an international activist was violently thrown to the ground by a border police.  The activist, from Sweden, landed on her back and a soldier pinned her to the ground, laying heavily on top of her and making it hard for her to breathe. Another activist, also from Sweden, identified him as the captain in charge of the soldiers that day.  A sound bomb was thrown next to the activist, after which she was handcuffed and arrested. In the tumult occurring after the sound bomb, another international activist was grabbed and arrested while trying to help the other from the ground

Both activists were blindfolded for three hours at a military base, and then taken to a police station. One of the activists was released after 12 hours, and the other was released after 24 hours, after being taken to jail and court in Jerusalem. They were both released without charges. The Palestinian man, however, is still under custody awaiting his  trial in court, which has been postponed until Thursday, June 30th.

Beit Ommar is located to the south of Hebron, with a significant amount of village land usurped by the “security fence” of the neighboring illegal settlement Karmei Tzur, built about five years ago.

We will not be uprooted–tree planting in Fasayel

26 June 2011 | Jordan Valley Solidarity

Today local and international activists joined families affected by last week’s demolitions in the Palestinian community of Fasayel in the occupied Jordan Valley as they planted 300 olive trees on their land. At around 5pm a group of 25 Palestinian and international activists joined 10 families whose homes were destroyed last week by the Israeli military (see article and video). The group planted olive trees for nearly 3 hours, putting down new roots in defiance of Israel’s brutal attempts to ethnically cleanse the village. Many of the trees were labeled with the names of Palestinian villages destroyed during the 1967 occupation, a symbolic act meant to connect the history of ethnic cleansing in Palestine to the ethnic cleansing taking place today in Fasayel.

On June 14, 2011, the Israeli army destroyed the homes of 18 families in the village of Fasayel. The families have been without shelter for over a week now, and have still received no meaningful aid. While several families have left the area, many others have remained steadfast on their land, and are determined to rebuild their lives.

Israeli forces arrest three in Beit Ommar demonstration

25 June 2011 | Palestine Solidarity Project

On Saturday June 25, about 50 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists gathered in Beit Ommar to demonstrate against the Israeli Karmei Tsur settlement, which has annexed hundreds of dunams of Palestinian land. As demonstrators attempted to enter land belonging to Beit Ommar farmers, Israeli soldiers announced that the area was a closed military zone and said they would not allow anyone to pass. Several Palestinians and internationals then attempted to circumvent the military blockade. At this point, at least 6 soldiers assaulted Mohammed G., a 22 year old Palestinian man from Surif. During attempts to rescue him from the attacks, two international activists were also arrested. A sound grenade was thrown by the soldiers into the midst of the demonstrators attempting to rush to his aid. When the smoke and dust cleared from the scene, Mohammed laid motionless on his back surrounded by soldiers, his shirt torn to shreds. He was arrested and taken to a police station in Kiryat Arba. He remains in custody as of 5 pm the next day.

Karmei Tsur is an Israeli settlement built in the 1990s, primarily on land privately owned by residents of Beit Ommar. A secondary fence was recently constructed around the already existing primary fence of the settlement, confiscating an additional several hundred meter circumference of Palestinian farmland in Beit Ommar.

Ni’lin demonstrates against the Apartheid Wall

24 June 2011 | Ni’lin

A weekly Ni’ilin demonstration was met with the intense tear gas attack, leaving dozens suffering from the consequence of inhaling the gas. Demonstration, organized by the Ni’ilin Popular Committee and joined by Israeli and international peace activists was held in solidarity with the political prisoners from the village held in Israeli prisons. The prisoners from the village, detained 17 months ago and sentenced on false charges, were moved from Ofer to Negev military prison.

Once the demonstration reached a gate in the apartheid wall, protesters started to knock on the door and demand that they are allowed to access their stolen land, which they have not seen for last three years. The soldiers reacted by attacking the peaceful demonstration with tear gas grenades, rubber coated steel bullets and sound grenades. One of the protesters was shot and dozens suffered from suffocation after inhaling tear gas.

Ibrahim Amireh, the coordinator of the Ni’ilin Popular Committee against the apartheid wall, said that the harsh treatment of the prisoners from the village was meant to destroy people’s spirit and hope. – But we will not stop defending our land and our dignity. We will continue to hold peaceful demonstrations, maintaining strong will and determination until we tear down the apartheid wall, put an end to the racist occupation of our land and we are able to live in a secure, just and peaceful society. – added Ibrahim Amireh.

Background:
Since the construction of the apartheid wall began on Ni’ilin land, the Israeli occupation forces have had conducted numerous raids into the village, arresting people in the middle of the night.

Between August 6th 2008 and December 1st, 2008 more than 157 people were arrested in Ni’ilin. Age: between 9 and 55 years-old. Israeli occupation forces raided villagers’ houses in the middle of the night, arresting people in an extremely brutal manner. During one of the raids, a mentally-ill person, whose brother was being arrested, was shot in the left eye with a rubber coated steal bullet. The man lost his eye.

Between May 1st, 2009 and August 27th, 2009 – 123 people were arrested.

Between January 1st, 2010 and July 26th, 2010 – 45 people were arrested. During this campaign, Israeli occupation forces detained three leaders of the local popular committee: Ibrahim Amireh, Zaydoon Srour and Hassan Mousa. They were sentenced to one year in prison and a bail of 9000 NIS in exchange for additional 9 months of imprisonment. There are still five villagers held in Israeli military prisons. Ni’ilin prisoners were sentenced to 4 to 28 months in prison and high bails.