Tag: Bil’in

Report from the Bil’in Committee Against the Apartheid Wall

Friday 10th of October 2008

After the Friday prayer, the residents of Bil’in gathered in protest along with Israeli and international activists. The French Farmers Union Northern France joined the protest to pick olives. The protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners calling to allow the Palestinian farmers to pick olives from their land. The protesters called also for a popular struggle to remove the wall, stop the confiscation of land, remove the checkpoints and free all the Palestinian detainees.

On the other side, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Party brought 100 volunteers to help the farmers of the village in picking the olives. They started the voluntary work in the early morning in the fields with the farmers.

The demonstrators chanted against the discriminatory policies of the occupation and called for national unity among the Palestinians, while they carried ladders and tools to pick olives. When the protest reached the gate, protesters tried to access the land to pick olives, but they were stopped by sound grenades and teargas canisters. Dozens suffered inhalation and around 14 volunteers were shot with rubber coated bullets when the IOF attacked the weekly protest. Most of the injuries were from the Popular Struggle Party known among them: Sameeh Fawzy, Baker Suliemnan Baker and Naseem Aljabaritie was sent to Alshiesk Zayed hospital in Ramallah city. The other injuireds are Azzmi Alnabali, Omar Saleh, Basem Ibraheem, Kamal Aljhaj, Mohammad Sadeq, Mohammad Abo Rumi, Samer Awwajneh, Khamees Abo Rahmah, Adeeb Abo Rahmad and Abdullah Abo Rahmeh the coordinator of Bilin popular committee.

The political board of the US consulate, along with a human rights worker from the United States visited the village of Bil’in a few days ago. The National Committee against the Wall gave a presentation to the group about the illegal construction of the Wall, the chemical weapons that the army uses against demonstrators and the unwillingness of the Israeli military to implement the Israeli court decision to remove the Wall. The group was denied entry the confiscated land behind the wall by the Israeli soldiers.

A delegation from Bil’in popular committee, international volunteers and Israeli peace activists visited the village of Nilin and helped the farmers there in picking olives.

Friday, September 26, 2008

On the 26th September 2008 after the Friday prayer, the residents of Bil’in, joined by international and Israeli solidarity activists, held a demonstration against the apartheid wall and the confiscation of their land. The protesters carried banners for the 8th anniversary of the Al-Aqsa intifada. They called for a third Intifada to remove the wall, stop settlement construction, remove checkpoints, open roads and stop the confiscation of Palestinian land. They also called to break Israeli racism and for the freedom of Palestinian detainees.

Photos courtesy of Activestills

The protesters marched towards the wall carrying Palestinian flags and banners calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and for Palestinian national unity.

When protesters tried to get close to the gate to reach the village’s confiscated land behind it, the Israeli army fired tear-gas cannisters and sound grenades causing many to need treatment for tear-gas inhalation. Two Palestinian protesters and a Scottish solidarity activist were shot with tear-gas cannisters and were taken to Sheikh Zaide hospital in Ramallah.

Report from Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall

Friday, September 19, 2008 – The residents of Bilin joined by international and Israeli peace activists gathered to demonstrate against the Wall and settlement building. Today is the 26th anniversary of Sabra and Shatel massacre. The protesters raised the Palestinian flag and condemned the massacres against the Palestinian people.

The demo left after the Friday prayer and called for an end to the Israeli racist policy and settlement building, closures, kidnappings, and the siege on cities and villages. The protesters marched towards the wall to reach the confiscated land behind it. As a usual procedure, the gate was closed and Israeli soldiers standing behind concrete blocks. When protesters tried to get closer to the gate, the army fired sound grenades and teargas canisters which caused dozens to suffer teargas inhalation. The Israeli army sprayed blue water mixed with teargas resulting in skin absorption of teargas thus increasing the painful effects of the teargas.

Yesterday, the Israeli army presented the first new suggested plan to change the path of the wall in Bilin according to what so called “the Israeli high court” which stated one year ago to remove the wall and change its path. Two months ago, the Israeli army submitted a plan for changing the route of the wall, this plan was to return only 120 dunums to the farmers. It was rejected from village and the Israeli court. Two days ago, The Israeli army submitted again another plan but it’s still doesn’t comply with the decision from the court and wasn’t accepted by the residents of Bil’in. The Popular Committee Against The Wall requested their lawyer refuse the new plan at the court.