Tag: Demonstration

Military Judge Criticizes Police; Releases the Bethlehem Ten

Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

01 April 2010

Activist arrested on the freedom march from Bethlehem to Jerusalem
Activist arrested on the freedom march from Bethlehem to Jerusalem
Judge Dahan of the Ofer Military Court in the West Bank ordered the release of the ten peaceful demonstrators arrested in Bethlehem last Sunday, among them PLO Executive Committee’s Abbas Zaki. The judge criticized the police and prosecution saying that the protest was nonviolent, and that the only force used in it was that used by police to apprehend the demonstrators.

After five long days in an Israeli military prison, the Bethlehem Ten were finally brought in front of a judge today at the Ofer military court. After hearing the arguments of both the military prosecution and the defense, the judge, Amir Dahan, decided to release all ten on bail and without posing restrictive release conditions. The judge also voiced his criticism of the police and prosecution by asserting in his decision that “There is no dispute that the march was not violent, and that no harm was done to anyone or to property, except for the force used by police officers during the arrests”.

The Bethlehem Ten were arrested together with four Israeli activists and an international activist, during a march marking Palm Sunday and the Christian tradition of pilgrimage to Jerusalem on that day last Sunday. Demonstrators hoped to highlight Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movement and freedom of religion in Jerusalem. Despite having been arrested under the exact same circumstances and suspicions, the Israelis and international were released that same evening, in a clear example of racial discrimination.

“When referring to the repression of demonstrations, Israel always claims that it is the demonstrators’ so-called violence that compels the Army to use such mesures”, said Mohammed Khatib of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. “But today even their own judge, in what is most clearly the court of the Occupation, acknowledged that any protest, any form of resistance, is met with an iron fist”.

The arrest of the Bethlehem Ten, especially that of Abbas Zaki, motivated the Fatah movement to declare an escalation in the use popular struggle strategies during these tense times. It has also brought hundreds of people to demonstrate at the Bitunya checkpoint yesterday, where demonstrators tried to break through the Separation Barrier in order to reach Ofer prison.

For more details:
Jonathan Pollak +972.546.327.736

Background

Fifteen demonstrators were arrested by Israeli forces during a peaceful demonstration near Rachel’s Tomb last Sunday, protesting Israeli violations of Palestinian freedom of religion and lack of access to Jerusalem. The demonstrators marked Palm Sunday and demanded to exercise the centuries old Christian tradition of pilgrimage to Jerusalem on that day. In a clear act of racial discrimination, the Israelis and international were released with a slap on the wrist that same night, while the police extended the arrest of all ten Palestinians by 96 hours.

After soldiers tried to stop the procession at a checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem near Rachel’s Tomb, demonstrators overwhelmed the few soldiers positioned there with their numbers, and peacefully continued to march towards Jerusalem. They were, however, stopped by a large contingent of Israeli Police officers a few hundred meters into Jerusalem. When the crowed could not advance farther, a number of Palestinian dignitaries held speeches, after which the protesters began retreating back towards Bethlehem.

It was at that point, that the police began its unprovoked assault at the demonstrators, making fifteen arrests, including those of Abbas Zaki of the PLO Executive Committee, four members of local popular committees and an AP photographer. Abbas Zaki is one of the most prominent Palestinian leaders to have been arrested in grassroots demonstrations in recent years. His arrest has stirred vocal protest by PA officials in this already tense period.

All demonstrators were arrested under the exact same circumstances, and on the same suspicions. The four Israelis and one international detained during the incident, were released that same evening. The Palestinians, however, were subjected to much harsher treatment. The police extended the arrest of all ten of them by 96 hours, which are likely to be extended by another 96 hours even before they will be brought before a judge.

While Israelis and internationals are, as a matter of policy, subject to Israeli law, which only allows for a 24 hours detention by the police, Palestinians are subject to Israeli Military Law, which allows for their detention for a period of eight days before being brought in front of a judge. This blunt policy of racial discrimination is applied even in cases where Palestinians and Israelis are arrested together and under the same circumstances, and despite the fact that both Palestinians and Israelis are, in theory, subject to the Israeli Military Law when in the Occupied Territories.

Budrus marks Land Day with olive tree planting and nonviolent resistance

International Solidarity Movement

31 March 2010

Nearly 100 residents of Budrus, Israli activist and internationals comemorated Land Day with a nonviolent march and tree planting action. The IOF used tear gas, sound bombs and rubber-coated steel bullets to violently repress the commemoration. Less than ten villagers were hit with rubber-coated steel bullets resulting in no serious injuries. About fifteen demonstrators were treated on-site for severe tear gas inhalation. There were no arrests made.

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Demonstrator places flag on Separation Fence

As the IOF soldiers made their hasty retreat, the demonstrators happened upon the remnants of Israel’s vain attempt to suppress the nonviolent popular resistance. Three barrels of tear gas canisters had been left during the soldiers haphazard exit from the village. Each once housed 400 tear gas canisters and the evidence they had been filled to the brim was scatted about the farmfield.

A lone man sat on a rock about two hundred fifty meters from the fence to where the demonstration had pushed at it’s furthest. A crowd of youth began to stand around the man.
“I’m sitting on the Green Line now,” he began, staring at the fence in the not-so-far off distance. “But they won’t let us farm from here to the fence. They’ve place cameras on these high towers that can look into our homes. We want our privacy and we want to farm. Today is Land Day, so we make a demonstration.”
The day had been long and the man had not lied; they had made quite the demonstration.

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Children March through Budrus

The demonstration began with exuberance. The shabab were quite elated. Through the heat, they mustered enough energy for a rare jubilance. Their cries for freedom were catapulted out of their jumping bodies. Halfway to the separation fence, olive trees were set beside the street. Demonstrators grabbed them with great zeal and hoisted them above their heads.

As the demonstration reached the fence, a well-organized frenzy erupted. People began planting the trees within a meter of the thin fence that separated the villagers from their land. Those who weren’t planting, chanted with dignified rage and emotion. The IOf soldiers appeared intimidated and surprised.

After ten minutes the military shot low-flying tear gas at the demonstrators. They went the sides of the road for a brief period as the soldiers locked the inner gate. The villagers, cut of from the trees they had just planted, returned to the fence and resumed their soulful demands for justice.

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IOF tear gasses nonviolent demonstration

Because the gate had been closed, the IOF was unable to effectively shoot tear gas at the demonstrators so close to the fence and demonstrators seemed to ignore the percussoin grenades that fell near them. Their attempts to disperse the crowd were in vain. The youth of the village were able to hold their ground for over twenty minutes until the IOF began shooting rubber-coated steel bullets. These lethal shots were illegally shot at heads and torsos. Demonstrators recounted hearing the bullets “whiz” past their heads, coming within a meter their persons.

The IOF opened the gate and drove jeeps toward the village, but were unable to reach the center, because of the demonstrators organized nonviolent community resistance.

After two hours the IOF made a hurried retreat from the village, leaving the remnants of 1200 spent tear gas canisters, percussion grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets. The villagers continued to demonstrate as close to the separation fence as possible. The IOF then invade the village again with two of the twelve jeeps that had amassed just outside the fence. The were unable to dissolve the demonstration and left after 20 minutes. They returned into the village after a brief time, but seemed to realize that there violent repression would not quell the nonviolent popular struggle in Budrus.

Through the use of nonviolent resistance Budrus successfuly moved the wall into no-man’s land.

Gaza residents commemorate Land Day at Nahal Oz border crossing

ISM Gaza

30 March 2010

Palestinians in Gaza came out in large numbers for demonstrations commemorating Land Day, including one at Nahal Oz border crossing, east of Gaza City. In attendance were around 300 Palestinians and three ISM members. Unlike other demonstrations on Tuesday, no injuries were reported. However, several demonstrators reported nearly being hit with “warning shots” of live ammunition.

As Palestinian and international demonstrators approached the Nahal Oz border, they were met by Israeli military waiting on the other side of the crossing. Activists, including a large group of women, carried banners condemning the Occupation and the Siege on Gaza. The group paused about 300 meters away from the border, where speeches were made about the significance of Land Day. As the demonstration progressed, two jeeps, two tanks and two vehicles used for soldier transport arrived. Five soldiers in firing positions were visible outside the vehicles.

A group of over 100 young people advanced further to about 150 meters form the border where they stopped and chanted anti-Occupation and anti-Siege slogans. A smaller group of about 50 youth continued across the ‘buffer zone’ towards the border fence waving Palestinian flags.

Israeli forces responded by firing over 30 live bullets over a period of about half an hour. Even though these were “warning shots,” usually fired high in the air by the military, many bullets came uncomfortably close to the demonstrators. One journalist who stayed away from the front lines of the demonstration reported nearly being hit in the head with one of these live bullets.

The demonstration was one of six across Gaza organized by the Popular Campaign for the Security in the Buffer Zone, an umbrella organization that includes organizations representing farmers and Gaza residents living near the border, and also a number of political parties.

Racial Discrimination By Israeli Police: Bethlehem Peaceful Protesters Still Detained

Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

29 March 2010

While the Israeli and international protesters detained in Bethlehem yesterday have been released, the police extended the arrest of the ten Palestinians, including PLO Executive Committee Member, Abbas Zaki, by 96 hours under military law. A demonstration held in Bethlehem today in support of the arrestees was dispersed by the Army.

Fifteen demonstrators have been arrested yesterday by Israeli forces during a peaceful demonstration near Rachel’s Tomb protesting Israeli violations of Palestinian freedom of religion and lack of access to Jerusalem. The demonstrators marked Palm Sunday and demanded to exercise the centuries old Christian tradition of pilgrimage to Jerusalem on that day. In a clear act of racial discrimination, the Israelis and international were released with a slap on the wrist that same night, while the police extended the arrest of all ten Palestinians by 96 hours.

For more details:
Jonathan Pollak +972546327736

After soldiers tried to stop the procession at a checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem near Rachel’s Tomb, demonstrators overwhelmed the few soldiers positioned there with their numbers, and peacefully continued to march towards Jerusalem. They were, however, stopped by a large contingent of Israeli Police officers a few hundred meters into Jerusalem. When the crowed could not advance farther, a number of Palestinian dignitaries held speeches, after which the protesters began retreating back towards Bethlehem.

It was at that point, that the police began its unprovoked assault at the demonstrators, making fifteen arrests, including those of Abbas Zaki of the PLO Executive Committee, four members of local popular committees and an AP photographer. Abbas Zaki is one of the most prominent Palestinian leaders to have been arrested in grassroots demonstrations in recent years. His arrest has stirred vocal protest by PA officials in this already tense period.

All demonstrators were arrested under the exact same circumstances, and on the same suspicions. The four Israelis and one international detained during the incident, were released that same evening. The Palestinians, however, were subjected to much harsher treatment. The police extended the arrest of all ten of them by 96 hours, which are likely to be extended by another 96 hours even before they will be brought before a judge.

While Israelis and internationals are, as a matter of policy, subject to Israeli law, which only allows for a 24 hours detention by the police, Palestinians are subject to Israeli Military Law, which allows for their detention for a period of eight days before being brought in front of a judge. This blunt policy of racial discrimination is applied even in cases where Palestinians and Israelis are arrested together and under the same circumstances, and despite the fact that both Palestinians and Israelis are, in theory, subject to the Israeli Military Law when in the Occupied Territories.

The Army had also used concussion grenades to disperse a demonstration in support of the ten arrestees in Bethlehem today. One demonstrator was lightly injured after a grenade hit his back.

15 Arrested in Bethlehem Demo incl. PLO Executive Committee Member

Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

28 March 2010

Israeli forces arrested 15 demonstrators, including Abbas Zaki of the PLO Executive Committee, during a Bethlehem demonstration to mark Palm Sunday and protest Israeli restrictions on movement. An AP photographer and four members of local popular committees were also arrested.

About 200 demonstrators set out from the Church of Nativity today on their way to Jerusalem to mark Palm Sunday, protest Israeli-imposed restrictions on movement and demand that Israel respects Palestinians’ freedom of religion. The protesters, who overwhelmed the soldiers at the checkpoint in their numbers, managed to nonviolently pass through the Bethlehem checkpoint and enter Jerusalem. They were blocked by a massive police force shortly after and could not advance further.

Once blocked, the demonstrators, who all remained peaceful throughout the protest, held speeches, and then began heading back. It was at this point that the police staged its unprovoked attack on the retreating protesters. Among the 15 arrested were four Israelis, one international activist, PLO Executive Committee member Abbas Zaki and AP photographer Fadi Hamad, as well as four members of local Popular Committees.

For more details:
Jonathan Pollak +972546327736
Huwaida Arraf +9720542635936 / +972598336215

The march, which began after the Palm Sunday service at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, was held to protest a recent aggravation of Israeli restrictions on movement through the checkpoint. Protesters aimed to highlight restrictions on access to Jerusalem on the day marking Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem in Christian tradition.