Tag: Demonstration - Page 59 - International Solidarity Movement

Women of Kafr Qaddum: Steadfastness and determination

12th August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

In June 2013, a photo depicting Suriah Mahmood from Kafr Qaddum won first prize in a photography compitition in Qatar. International activists met Suriah to talk to her about non violent Palestinian resistance and the village of Kafr Qaddum.

Kufr pic — Suriah Mahmood in her house in Kafr Qaddum (Photo by ISM)

The people of Kafr Qaddum have organised non-violent marches every Friday, with men and women sharing roles in the demonstration according to Suriah Mahmood, a prominent woman from Kafr Qaddum. Women participate in the demonstration by directing the ‘shabab‘ – the young men of the town. The women tell the shabab demonstrators where to move and where the soldiers are hiding in ambush as they attempt to injure and arrest people.

‘We’ve suffered a lot over the decades, for the long distance and the time it takes to reach Qalqiliya and Nablus.’ The monetary cost doubles for travel due to the distance and checkpoints, not to mention the psychological costs of having a checkpoint to the entrance of the village, making people continually worry they are going to be detained, arrested or harrassed. The village suffers as they have to use longer and even more circuitous routes when the checkpoint is closed. These hardships are then multiplied again when the army invade the village. ‘I go out onto the street when the army chase shabab into the village. Something in my heart and emotions, activate me quickly, telling me to go out the house and protect the shabab from the army.’ Suriah has joined demonstrations along with other Palestinian women from Kafr Qaddum, although the demonstrators are typically male Palestinians along with some male and female international and Israeli activists.

‘I think to myself, who takes part in the demonstrations? The shabab are our brothers and sons from Kafr Qaddum. I think it is my duty to go out to make trouble for the soldiers to make them busy so they are unable to continue to chase the shabab. I again feel something internal in my heart. Sometimes I throw stones or block in front of the soldiers. I shout to make the soldiers nervous and crazy and can’t control my emotions because I think it’s the role of Palestinian women to stand with our brothers against occupation.’

kuf pic 2 — Photo of Suriah Mahmood that won the photography competition (Photo by Alaa Badasreh)

On Friday 2nd August the army invaded the village and shot teargas in all directions, some of the teargas canisters entering houses. ‘My husband and son’s wife and my grandchild Yakub, suffocated alot and suffered for two hours. Asma the wife of my son fell unconscious. I began to cry , shout and called an ambulance to make first aid. When the army left the village, the teams of first aid were allowed to do their job and help those suffocated in the house.’

When asked about what Suriah hopes for in the future for her village she replied, ‘I hope for a chance to come to the Palestinian people to be free and have peace in the land without having the army to storm the village. I hope to re-open the historic road that existed before the occupation. I hope that all over the world governments rule to protect people from occupation. I think decades of occupation is enough and it is time to live happy and free.’

Welcome to Palestine: tear gas and coffee

10th August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Anna, Nablus Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

Tear gas spread throughout the village (Photo by Al Masira Kafr Qaddum )

I came to Palestine last Tuesday and joined the weekly protest held on Friday the 8th of August in Kafr Qaddum. The demonstration represented non-violent resistance against the land grab and for the freedom of movement in the village. Kafr Qaddum was my first demonstration in Palestine in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom, self-determination, human rights and international law.

In the past years the village has gone through several attacks by Israeli soldiers and police who raid the village in the night, threatening the population. Even children under 18 years old are menaced with arrest and when arrested, are beaten along with other Palestinians.

Yesterday as we got off the service (shared taxi), soldiers started firing tear gas and sound bombs directly at protesters. They had invaded the village and chased after Palestinians and several international and Israeli activists throughout the village. Even though I knew the answer I asked two international comrades who were there with me: ‘has the demo begun?’ – ‘No, that’s the pre-demo.’ I can now easily reply to anybody asking me the same. Actually, since early that morning soldiers and police (with at least three jeeps) had entered the village, scaring people and filling the air with so much gas people could hardly breathe.

After one of the first clashes between the Palestinian youth and the soldiers had begun, everyone started running everywhere trying to protect themselves as best as possible. I ran like a hare, taking shelter in a Palestinian house where I was welcomed by a beautiful Palestinian woman dressed in white. A Palestinian man (I understood later he was her son, living in Dubai and returned to the village for the Eid holiday) and a bunch of children all of different ages, from three to 11 years old were also in the house.

I went up onto the roof where children behaved as “special watchers” running from one corner to another following the soldiers’ movements and screaming when they were throwing tear gas canisters and alerting the shebab (Arabic word for Palestinian youth) hiding in different areas of the village. I was offered a cup of coffee which I accepted with joy, longing for something strong and needing to drink so much because I couldn’t make enough saliva.

Soldiers invading the village, shebab defending it (Photo by Al Masira Kafr Qaddum)

Kafr Qaddum is a small village situated near the top of a hill facing the illegal settlement of Qedumin, which was established on Palestinian land and has been expanding to take over more privately owned Palestinian land. Furthermore the road to Nablus from the village was shut by the army with a roadblock in 2003 and this obstruction means an extra 14 kilometres distance to travel out of the village. The journey is emblematic of the restriction of movement imposed by the Israeli authorities on Palestinians in the West Bank.

The man started questioning me about the international presence in the village, showing he was curious about us, especially about why we decided to leave our own countries and come to Palestine struggling beside Palestinians in support of “another population’s cause”. He was puzzled but happy when I replied that it is our duty to act and stand up for Palestinians and that we speak out for them not only because as internationals we think they all have a right to resist, but as we are all human beings, we should take part in this cause for freedom and speaking out against ongoing violations of human rights amongst many oppressions that the Palestinians have been subjected to for more than 60 years. As we are generally Europeans or Western citizens coming from countries that strongly support Israeli apartheid through economic, cultural and institutional ties, we have the duty to speak out and stand up for international law and the human rights of Palestinians, with the best of efforts.

After the conversation, I joined comrades once again as the struggle was still going on. The demonstration ended but this time the soldiers and police were stopped from arresting protesters but not from injuring people. Children aged 4, 6 and 7 years old and a 75 year old woman suffered badly from tear gas inhalation when it was thrown and shot directly into their homes.

This is the daily life for Palestinians. This is their enduring resistance. Long live Palestine!

Photo essay: Israeli army incursion through Apartheid Wall in Ni’lin

10th August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday at around 1pm, Palestinians together with Israeli and international activists marched through the olive groves towards the annexation wall on Ni’lin’s land.

Protesters marching to the wall (Photo by ISM)

Demonstrators approached the area of the wall chanting slogans against Israel’s apartheid policies and the annexation of land for the illegal Israeli settlements. Israeli forces, located behind the wall, shot numerous amounts of tear gas canisters and sound bombs at people as they approached.

Demonstrators reaching the wall (Photo by ISM)

Israeli forces shot multiple rounds of tear gas canisters at protesters (Photo by ISM)

A Ni’lin resident flies the Palestinian flag as tear gas rains down (Photo by ISM)

After an hour of continuous shooting of tear gas canisters, Israeli forces crossed through the gate in the wall and chased protesters up the hill shooting more gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets.

In the distance, the black figure of an Israeli soldier who has come out from behind the wall in an attempt to intimidate protesters. Behind him are the illegal settlements (Photo by ISM)

The protest finished at around 3pm when Israeli forces retreated. Two Palestinian demonstrators needed medical treatment after being shot with rubber coated steel bullets.

For five years the people of Ni’lin have been demonstrating against the Apartheid Wall that has taken 2500 dunums of Ni’lin land.

Ongoing resistance in Bil’in

9th August 2013 | Friends of Freedom and Justice | Bil’in, Occupied Palestine

Resistance in Bil’in continued on the second day of the Eid Al Ftir holiday, in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in their hunger strike. One female activist was arrested and there were dozens of cases of teargas suffocation in the Bil’in weekly march.

This week the Friday demonstration, organized by the Popular Committee against the Wall and settlements in Bil’in, marched in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in their hunger strike.

The march began after Friday prayers from the center of the village toward the apartheid wall. Israelis and international peace activists participated alongside the people of Bil’in.

The participants raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans calling for the end of the occupation, the demolition of the apartheid wall and the liberation of the Palestinian political prisoners. Upon the arrival of participants to the area the gate was already open, and military jeeps proceeded into the area prior to the demonstration. Israeli soldiers attacked the area and chased the participants in an attempt to arrest them. They succeeded in arresting one female Swiss activist. The ambulance crew was fired upon deliberately and soldiers initiated confrontation with journalists in the area.

UPDATED: Four arrested at Nabi Saleh’s weekly protest

3rd August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

Update 3th August: The fourth Israeli activist was released this morning at 5am.

*******

On Friday August 2, Israeli Border Police aggressively attacked protesters marching in Nabi Saleh’s weekly demonstration, shooting rubber-coated steel bullets and sound bombs at very short distances while arresting protesters and covering them in skunk water. The attack was initiated without any previous action from the demonstrators and resulted in the arrest of four Israeli activist.

Protesters marching down the road towards the spring (Photo By Tamimi Press)

After midday prayer, around forty people, Palestinians together with Israeli and international activists, gathered in the village’s square, marched through Nabi Saleh’s streets and down the hill towards the stolen water spring. Israeli occupation forces were heavily present from the beginning and quickly charged at the demonstrators.

Invading the village, Israeli Border Police surrounded the protesters and without warning began firing rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and skunk water at them. Though illegal by Israeli law, the rubber and plastic coated steel bullets were shot from distances down to 10meters, barely missing the heads of fleeing international activists.

Despite the peaceful vibe of the protest, Israeli Border Police officers arrested four Israeli demonstrators and took them to the settlement nearby. One activist was humiliatingly handcuffed and blindfolded as he was taken away, in spite of him offering no resistance to the arrest. Three of the four activists were later released.

The village of Nabi Saleh has demonstrated against the theft of their natural spring by the nearby Halamish settlement and the occupation in general since December 2009. Israeli forces violently suppress the weekly Friday protests by shooting tear gas canisters, skunk water, sound bombs, rubber-coated steel bullets and even live ammunition at protesters. Two people have been killed, Mustafa and Rushdi Tamimi, and many others severely injured.