Category: Reports - Page 442 - International Solidarity Movement

Men and women of Iraq Burin demonstrate against land theft

International Solidarity Movement

25 April 2010

Palestinian men, women and children, along with international activists met with severe military repression on Saturday, April 24 as the village of Iraq Burin staged another successful demonstration against the Israeli occupation of their lands.

Local and international activists gathered under the heat of another beaming midday sun at the southern outskirts of the village, warming up for what has become weekly tradition. Some 80 demonstrators, lead by a shabb (youth) on a magnificent steed, began the march along the steep path to the summit of Iraq Burin’s southern peak toward the fence demarcating the edge of Iraq Burin’s contested farmland, adjacent to the illegal settlement of Bracha.

A force of two dozen Israeli soldiers, having occupied the hill’s summit, blocked the demonstrators’ progress. With flags, raised fists & megaphones as their weapons, protesters established their ground 50 metres from armed Israeli occupation forces, defiantly – yet peacefully – asserting their right to access their land. Lyrical chants rung out from those assembled, of Iraq Burin’s two martyrs Mohammad and Ussayed Qaddous (killed on March 20 by soldiers firing live ammunition during the weekly demonstration) and Palestine’s capital of Al-Quds, 75 km from Iraq Burin, but largely unvisited by 1000 green ID-holding residents of the village. Activists felt a further surge of pride as women from the village appeared within their midst, chanting alongside Iraq Burin’s men and flashing the peace sign at soldiers.

P1000945 — A Palestinian flag billows in the winds in Iraq Burin's demonstration

It didn’t take long for Israeli occupation forces, spread out across the hill’s summit, to open fire on the crowd. As the first volleys of sound bombs and tear gas were let loose on the peaceful demonstration chaos broke loose, gas canisters landing left, right and centre as protesters attempted to escape the fumes whilst holding their ground against advancing Israeli occupation forces. Soldiers became increasingly aggressive, firing gas directly at activists, which came pounding through the air and clearing heads by mere centimeters.

Despite the military’s use of brute force, the village displayed bravery and resilience in the face of violence, continuing to chant rhymes of protest and hold Palestinian flags aloft, resplendent in black, green, red and white through the plumes of smoke. After approximately one hour the village called an end to the demonstration, declaring it another success, with no injuries, no arrests and a clear message sent to the occupation forces – “this is our land, and we will return here each week to remind you of it.”

IMGP1730 — A mother is lead away by her son after she is engulfed in gas

The village of Iraq Burin began non-violently protesting the expansion of Israeli settlement Bracha in August 2009, in response to a sharp increase in provocative, and often violent attacks initiated by residents of the settlement. These attacks are frequently aided and abetted by the Israeli military, who in turn invade the village, firing rounds of tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition upon Palestinian civilians

Israeli demonstrator badly injured in Bil’in demonstration

Popular Struggle Coordinating Committee

23rd April 2010

An Israeli protester suffered a broken skull after soldiers shot him directly with a tear gas projectile that hit his forehead. Five demonstrators were arrested. Another protester was hit in the head with a tear gas projectile in Nabi Saleh.

Emad Rezqa was hit in the forehead by an aluminum tear gas projectile shot directly at him by Israeli soldiers during the weekly anti-Wall demonstration in Bil’in earlier today. He suffered a fractured skull and brain hemorrhage. Rezqa is currently hospitalized at the Hadassa Ein Karem hospital in Jerusalem.

The demonstration Rezqa was injured in concluded the three-day International Bil’in Conference on Popular Struggle, and was attended by hundreds of people. Five demonstrators were arrested during the protest.

The march, which commenced at the village’s mosque after the midday prayer, was attacked with tear gas some 30 seconds after reaching the gate in the Wall, despite the fact that it was entirely peaceful. The gas forced most of the participants to retreat back towards the village, but a smaller group managed to stay by the gate, chanting and shouting slogans.

A few minutes after, a group of soldiers began firing a second round of tear gas projectiles, this time directly at the demonstrators from a distance of about 30 meters. Rezqa was hit and quickly evacuated to the Ramallah hospital with blood gushing from his forehead. He was transferred to the Hadassa Ein Karem hospital after being x-rayed and diagnosed as suffering a broken skull.

Following Rezqa’s injury, soldiers invaded Bil’in through the gate in the Wall and arrested four protesters who were staging a sit-in some hundred meters away from the Wall, as well as a journalist who was next to them.

Another demonstrator was similarly injured today during a demonstration in the village of Nabi Saleh. The protester was hit in the head with a tear gas projectile shot directly at him after the Army invaded the village even before the demonstration began.

In Ni’ilin, roughly 300 people demonstrated in solidarity with the villages political prisoners. The demonstration was attended by two PLC members from the Change and Reform party – Mahmoud Ramahi and Fadhel Saleh, who joined the protest today following Ramahi’s statement in support of the popular struggle last Wednesday during the Bil’in conference.

Ramahi and Slaeh’s participation is yet another sign of the recent expansion of the popular struggle and the momentum the movement is gaining in the Palestinian street.

Bulldozers return to destroy children’s playground in Beit Jala. Six activists arrested.

International Solidarity Movement

22nd April 2010

Israeli bulldozers today destroyed a garden and children’s playground in Beit Jala, and 100 fruit and olive trees in Al Walaja and Beit Jala, both in the Bethlehem district, to make way for the continued construction of their illegal apartheid wall. Soldiers present used violent force to remove Palestinian, Israeli and international activists who attempted to prevent the destruction. Two Israelis were arrested immediately, and six internationals were later arrested.

In Beit Jala, this is the second time that this particular garden and playground has been bulldozed. A legal injunction preventing further destruction expired this week. Following the previous demolition, in early March, local Palestinian residents and international supporters rebuilt the playground and planted new olive trees in the garden. All these were today destroyed.

Abu Michel watching the destruction of his children's playground

Twelve people, representing six different nationalities, sat in front of the Caterpillar bulldozer as it moved up to the garden. Soldiers forcefully removed all twelve, several of whom sustained minor injuries, and one of whom was hospitalised with suspected broken ribs after his stomach was repeatedly stamped upon by one of the soldiers.

After soldiers forced everyone but the owners of the garden up to the road above, they joined approximately 50 other internationals and local residents to hold a demonstration which lasted into the evening. Overlooking the wreckage of the morning’s destruction, the protesters chanted and sang, asking only to be allowed back down to the house, where bulldozing had finished, to speak with the family there. Late in the afternoon, six activists, from the USA, Italy, Spain, Germany and France, managed to access the house via a back route, bringing food in to the family, before being arrested by Israeli Border Police, accused of illegally entering a Closed Military Zone.

In Al Walaja, Israeli military prevented any internationals or journalists from accessing the area to observe the uprooting of approximately 40 olive trees.

The International Court of Justice has ruled that the building of Israel’s apartheid wall is in violation of international law. When complete, the wall will run for over 700km, the vast majority of it passing through and effectively annexing Palestinian land in the West Bank.

Gazans fired upon with live ammunition at demonstration

ISM Gaza

20th April 2010

gazanow — Gazans march for unfettered access to farmlands

Israeli army shot several rounds of live ‘warning’ fire at about 150 peaceful protesters who entered the so called ‘security belt.’ This belt consists of 300 meters of Palestinian land alongside the borderline. Israelis enforce a no-go ‘rule’ for Palestinians with lethal weapons.

As for the Israeli army, they cross to the Palestinian side regularly. Their tanks leave a fresh trail of destruction in the fields upon each incursion.
The demonstration took place at noon, 19th April 2010, in the Nadha border area near the town of Rafah in the south of Gaza Strip. The organisers were the Popular Campaign Against the Buffer Zone, a coalition of people living and farming in a buffer zones across Gaza and a number of political parties and civil society organizations.

A group of about 20 local women, some carrying pictures of their family members in Israeli jails and local residents, joined the march. This area has been exposed to the extreme violence over the years resulting in loss of lives and destruction of property. Several local men talked about family members killed by Israelis and the injuries they themselves sustained.

They marched with the ISM volunteers to about 30 metres from the border, where Israelis placed a barbed wire following the previous demonstration which ended with marchers walking to the border fence and putting several Palestinian flags.

This time they were met with repeated bursts of fire lasting altogether for about 10 minutes.

At the other side near the Israeli observation tower, the two army jeeps which where there when the demonstrators arrived with the ‘hammer’ positioned couple of hundred metres away, were joined by another five jeeps with soldiers being positioned inside and outside their vehicles.
Fortunately nobody was hurt.

Spirit of resistance strong in Iraq Burin

International Solidarity Movement

20 April 2010

IMGP1650a — Local demonstrators discuss the finer points of protest.

Local and international activists broadcast a message of protest against settler and military violence in Iraq Burin last Saturday 17 April, marching to the threatened farmlands that lie between the village and the illegal settlement of Bracha. The demonstration showcased the village’s spirit of resistance, refusing to waver in the face of severe military repression.

Iraq Burin, touted by proud locals as the most beautiful village in Palestine (and agreed upon by international solidarity activists present) is situated just south of Nablus city, in the northern region of the West Bank. Local protesters, joined by ISM activists, assembled under a beaming midday sun at the southern edge of the village, facing the contested farmlands that lie between the village and the illegal Israeli settlement of Bracha. It was to these lands that demonstrators would march, and stake their rightful claim to.

IMGP1642a — Demonstrators face off with Israeli occupation forces

At 1pm the march commenced, forging a new route towards the southern peak of the mountain constituting the foundations of Iraq Burin, weaving its way through still-young olive trees, planted by local and international activists in a tree-planting action six months prior. The route was a strategic choice over the path usually taken down the steep valley opposite the village to meet with Israeli forces on the opposite hill, that gives severe disadvantage to those participating in the demonstration and tempting only diehard protesters to forge ahead. A buoyant atmosphere accompanied the lyrical and defiant chants that rung out from the crowd, featuring emotional commemorations of the village’s shahadeen (two martyrs), Ussayed and Mohammad Qaddous, who were shot dead by live ammunition from the Israeli occupation forces one month ago.

The march was obstructed by five Israeli soldiers positioned some 50 meters from the hill’s summit, flanked by two jeeps. As the march drew to a halt, and stretched out across the field to face the soldiers a further three jeeps and 20 soldiers arrived on the scene while protesters continued to chant, raising fists and flags in the air in the face of the Israeli occupation forces. After 30 minutes, the first volleys of tear gas were fired, arching high across a blue sky towards Iraq Burin village. As the village elders and children moved to the rear, and young men rushed forward to defend their lands, soldiers fired off a barrage of tear gas directly at protesters.

IMGP1645a — Israeli soldiers blocking the path of the demonstration

The demonstration ended soon after, both the military and village elders appearing cautious after the violent deaths of Mohammad and Ussayed Qaddous. Demonstrators returned to the village in high spirits however, singing, discussing ideas for next week’s round of direct action, and gulping in breaths of fresh air as the remnants of tear gas were swept off towards on the settlement on a strong southerly breeze.