Tag: Demonstration

Ni’lin demonstrates against the Apartheid Wall

7 August 2009

Weekly demonstration against the Wall in Nilin, Palestine, 07/08/09
Weekly demonstration against the Wall in Nilin, Palestine, 07/08/09

Palestinians, Israelis and international solidarity activists gathered in the fields of Ni’lin for the midday prayer before once again setting off to protest the illegal Apartheid Wall that continues to severe Ni’lin residents from their land.

The demonstrators, numbering approximately 60, took a different route than usual across the fields but were soon met with tear gas and chemical sewage water. The protest was quickly scattered with people running along a large section of the fence shouting and waving flags. The tear gas continued being launched by soldiers under the cover of their armoured vehicles and also by multiple canister launchers atop the same jeeps.

Army action intensified when a Palestinian flag was erected and could not be retrieved by the army. They used more tear gas, sound bombs and rubber coated steal bullets to try, unsuccesfully, to push the protesters away from the wall. It wasn’t until the Israeli army entered onto Palestinian land that the crowd had no choice but to run away, whilst being fired at and pursued by the army. The main group was chased almost all the way back into the village before the army left and the demonstration ended.

Israeli forces commonly use tear-gas canisters, rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition against demonstrators.

To date, Israeli occupation forces have murdered 5 Palestinian residents and critically injured 1 international solidarity activist during unarmed demonstrations in Ni’lin. In total, 19 people have been killed during demonstrations against the Wall.

  • 5 June 2009: Yousef Akil Srour (36) was shot in the chest with 0.22 caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 13 March 2009: Tristan Anderson (37), an American citizen, was shot in the head with a high velocity tear gas projectile. He is currently at Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv with uncertain prospects for his recovery.
  • 28 December 2008: Mohammed Khawaje (20) was shot in the head with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition. He died in a Ramallah hospital 3 days later on 31 December 2008.
  • 28 December 2008: Arafat Rateb Khawaje (22) was shot in the back with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 30 July 2008: Yousef Amira (17) was shot in the head with two rubber coated steel bullets. He died in a Ramallah hospital 5 days later on 4 August 2008.
  • 29 July 2008: Ahmed Mousa (10) was shot in the forehead with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.

In total, 38 people have been shot by Israeli forces with live ammunition in Ni’lin: 9 were shot with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and 29 were shot with 0.22 caliber live ammunition.

Additionally, Israeli arrest and intimidation campaigns on West Bank villages that demonstrate against the Wall, have led to the arrests of over 76 Palestinians in Ni’lin alone as of June 2009.

Since May 2008, residents of Ni’lin have been organizing and participating in unarmed demonstrations against construction of the Apartheid Wall. Despite being deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004, the Occupation continues to build the Wall, further annexing Palestinian land.

Ni’lin will lose approximately 2,500 dunums of agricultural land when construction of the Wall is completed. Israel annexed 40,000 of Ni’lin’s 58,000 dunums in 1948. After the occupation of the West Bank in 1967, the illegal settlements and infrastructure of Kiryat Sefer, Mattityahu and Maccabim were built on village lands and Ni’lin lost another 8,000 dunums. Of the remaining 10,000 dunums, the Occupation will confiscate 2,500 for the Wall and 200 for a tunnel to be built under the segregated settler-only road 446. Ni’lin will be left with 7,300 dunums.

The current entrance to the village will be closed and replaced by a tunnel to be built under Road 446. This tunnel will allow for the closure of the road to Palestinian vehicles, turning road 446 into a segregated settler-only road . Ni’lin will be effectively split into 2 parts (upper Ni’lin and lower Ni’lin), as road 446 runs between the village. The tunnel is designed to give Israeli occupation forces control of movement over Ni’lin residents, as it can be blocked with a single military vehicle.

Iraq Burin demonstrates against settlements

7 August 2009

Today the first demonstration took place in Iraq Burin village. Since there exists an illegal settlement close to the village 100 dunum of land (100,000 square meters) have been confiscated, therefore farmers and shepherds are prohibited to enter their fields and areas close to the settlement, but nowadays already the closest field directly next to the village is forbidden to use after 100 meters. The farmers are faced with the illegitimate Israeli law, which expropriates Palestinian if they have not been to their land for 3 years. Obviously this is a cynical law because the army doesn’t allow farmers to access their land. On the other hand constant attacks from settlers and soldiers happen there. Five years ago settlers shot a man in his leg while he was walking on a hill far away from the settlement. In the nights settlers came to make graffiti like « The People of Israel are alive ». Since three years one shop and three houses have recieved demolishing orders.

On the 7th of August, around 150 inhabitants and a score of international activists started a demonstration in the center of the village with a festive climate. They chanted slogans against the Occupation and for their legitimate right to access of their land. The demonstration marched towards the land where settler presence has stopped the residents’ ability to access their land. went up a hill directly next to the village in the direction of the land which settlers have stolen and therefore farmers aren’t able to use their land anymore. The aim of the demonstration was to arrange a public prayer on exactly those fields.

When the march came near the settlers’ outpost there was only one soldier who immediately started shooting into the air when he saw the demonstrators. Then several armed settlers and few soldiers started to threaten the demonstrators pointing at them with their weapons. The demonstrators by means of a megaphone remained to the settlers and soldiers that this was a non violent demonstration. Even though, settlers became more and more aggressive and kept on pointing at demonstrators. More soldiers arrived to the scenery and ordered the demonstrators to leave offering violence.

The Palestinians insisted on their right to be at this place but realizing the degree of violence from the settlers they decided at least to celebrate their prayer as scheduled. When they started Settlers started to shoot life ammunition in the air and soldiers tried to disperse the demonstration with tear gas, sound bombs and rubber bullets. The demonstrators shortly scattered but gathered again. Now settlers and soldiers became more violent. Settlers ran down the hill towards the demonstrators screaming, unloading their guns and aiming at the people in a range of only some centimeters. The soldiers were not really able or willing to stop them. In contrast they went on throwing teargas and sound grenades. Some shabaab (young teenagers) responded in throwing stones. In the following there where some probabilities but luckily nobody was arrested or badly injured. After Israeli Border police and police arrived the leaders of the demonstration started some negotiation with them which again and again was interrupted by the violent attacks of the Settlers or sound bombs and tear gas from the soldiers . In total more than 30 members of Israeli armed forces were in the place. Finally the Palestinian leaders achieved the celebration of the prayer some meters further direction village.

Despite the difficulties of the demonstration because of the disproportional means used by the army and the risk caused by the violence of the settlers, the inhabitants left the place in a mood of hope and strength with the intention to keep on demonstrating in that area.

During the demonstration two people were injured. One of them, a journalist from Al Jazeera, was beaten by a settler with his weapon. The other injured person was a Palestinian who was hit by a tear gas canister in his stomach. He needed medical assistance and a bandage.

Solidarity with Palestinian non-violent resistance: a Bil’in petition

Sign the Petition

The Palestinian popular resistance movement is suffering from the ongoing violence of both the Israeli occupation forces and the settlers. The Israeli authorities want to crush the non-violent struggle and to break the unity created among Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals, who for more than four years have been demonstrating together in Bilin, Nilin and other occupied villages, exerting their legitimate right to defend their land against further colonization and to struggle for the full restitution of the land annexed by Israel, disregarding international obligations and violating human rights.

In the past months we have seen an escalation of systematic arrests and kidnappings of activists in the movement by the Israeli army. This week, non-violent leaders from the West Bank village of Bilin and Al Masara have been arrested for peacefully demonstrating against Israeli separation wall and are still being held in prison.

Faced with this painful reality, the Palestinian people are committed to continuing and developing their non-violent popular struggle. This struggle has become an emblematic example not only for Palestinians but also for activists worldwide who fight for freedom, justice and self-determination. Last December, the Bil’in Popular Committee was awarded the 2008 Human Rights Medal of the International League of Human Rights in Germany.

During the 4th Bilin International Conference on Non-violent Resistance held in April 2009, civil-society groups, peace movements and human-rights organizations working in solidarity with the Palestinian popular resistance movement decided to strengthen their coordination.

It is high time to give more force to this movement. We must act right now!

By signing this open call, we are creating the International Network in solidarity with the Palestinian Popular Resistance movement in order to:

1. Improve the coordination among international civil-society groups working in solidarity with the Palestinian Popular Resistance movement.

2. Establish a permanent channel of communication between the Palestinian Popular Resistance movement and international civil-society groups.

3. Strengthen the communication, advocacy and lobbying capacity of the solidarity movements in order to put more pressure on governments and parliaments worldwide to focus on the respect for international law and human rights, to take a position against the siege on Gaza, the occupation of the Palestinian territories, the construction of the illegal separation wall and the Israeli policy of land confiscation and colonization.

4. Promote international initiatives to send civilian peace services and teams to the Occupied Territories and organize field visits of politicians, lawyers and journalists.

FIRST SIGNATURES:

Mohammed Khatib – Bil’in Popular Committee (Palestine)
Máiread Corrigan-Maguire – Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (Northern Ireland)
Luisa Morgantini – Former Vice President of the EU Parliament (Italy)
Prof. Dr. Fanny-Michaela Reisin – President of the International League for Human Rights; Co-Founder of Jews for a Just Peace in Near East, and European Jews for a Just Peace (EJJP) (Germany)
NOVA – Social Innovation Centre (Catalonia/Spain)
Association France Palestine Solidarité – AFPS (France)
Josette Fourme Teachers for Peace – Peace French movment FRANCE
Mahmoud Zwahre – Al Masara Popular Committee (Palestine)
Abedallah Abu-Rahma – Bil’in Popular Committee (Palestine)
Neta Golan – Co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (Israel/Palestine)
Luca Gervasoni i Vila – NoVA – Peacebuilding and Active Nonviolence (Catalonia/Spain)
Martina Pignatti – Un Ponte per… (Italy)
Kobi Snitz – Anarchists Against the Wall (Israel/Palestine)

al Ma’asara demonstrates against the Apartheid Wall

7 August 2009

Yesterday night military vehicles blocked the entrance of al Ma’asara village. This act came, last week, after Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) threatened to put the village under siege if it had continued the weekly protests.

In al Ma’asara today dozens of Palestinian protestors against the apartheid Wall and the settlements were joined by groups of around 80 internationals from all over the world and some Israeli activists.

Protestors marched towards the Apartheid Wall carrying Palestinian and Fatah flags as a message to the members of Fateh from the popular resistance movement to adopt the popular resistance as strategy for the future and also as a message that unity is priority for the Palestinians. protestors marched toward their land chanting for the immediate end to the Israeli Occupation and Colonization of Palestine.

The Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) put a razor wire on the road at the exit of the village and stopped the march, denying people the right to access their land. Protesters stood against the soldiers, holding speeches in Arabic, Hebrew and English. Some protestors stayed longer trying to encourage the young soldiers from serving in a occupying army.

Bil’in demonstrates against Apartheid Wall and Israeli arrest campaign

Bil’in Popular Committee

7 August 2009

Tens were suffocated with tear gas, fired by Israeli soldiers at Bili’n’s weekly demonstration. Where Bil’in citizens, Israeli and International peace activists demonstrated after the Friday prayers, waving Palestinian flags and banners with slogans calling for the release of the popular leaders, Muhammad al-Khatib and Adib Abu Rahma, and the rest of the other detainees, and calling for ending raids and prosecution of activists and members of the People’s Committee against the wall. Demonstrators has walked in Bil’in streets chanting slogans calling for national unity, and continuation of the popular committee resistance, and events without the fear of the terrorist policy carried out by the Israeli army against Palestinians in general and the people of Bil’in in particular.

Once the demonstrators arrived at the wall gat, the Israeli soldiers has fired them strongly with different kinds of gases; some of them were invasive bomb fired by hand, other fired by gun and some of them were fired from the front of military vehicles, as this one has thrown fifty bombs at one time, which covered an area of more than ten donems with gas, causing tens of cases of suffocation.

The soldiers also began spraying the demonstrators with a green – colored water contaminated by waste animal manure and chemicals, resulting in the vomiting by many others. Some reports mentioned that the Israeli are using the skunk smell, which is very strong and can’t be removed from clothes. This colored water is one of the newly tested weapons that the Israelis are using against the demonstrators in Bil’in. The demonstrators dressed in plastic dresses, hats, gloves, and masks in order not to be affect by the chemical water and its noxious smell that the Israeli are using now against them.

On the other hand, the People’s Committee against the Wall in Bil’in called for immediate release of all detainees from the village of Bil’in, including the leaders Muhammad al-Khatib and Adib Abu Rahma. As the charges that they are facing are illegal, thus what the people of Bil’in are doing is legal and legitimate, since it guaranteed by all international conventions and even the Israeli courts themselves, as well as international and Israeli participation in the activities of Bil’in, the Committee considered that the threat against the committee members is unacceptable, and they will continue in their struggle and the threats will not stop them, as they are all being targeted, however everyone has involved in the events has become a target by the occupation. Therefore the Committee calls all the human rights organizations, friends and supporters of the village of Bil’in and the Palestinian issue to the immediate intervention for the release of prisoners and stop the terrorist against the village.

On the other hand, the People’s Committee condolences the death of the two leaders Samir Ghosheh the General Secretary of the Palestinian Struggle Front and and Shafiq Al Hout the member of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

At another level the People’s Committee called in its letter to the participants at “Fateh sixth conference” for having the popular resistance in their future programs and strategies in resisting the occupation.