Tag: Friday Demonstrations - Page 5 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli military court sentences Murad Eshtewi to 10 months in prison and a 10,000 NIS fine for participating in Kufr Qaddum protests

4th December 2014 | Popular Struggle Coordination Committee | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

Salem military court has sentenced activist Murad Eshtewi, from Kufr Qaddum village, to 9 and a half months of prison, with an additional 10,000 shekel fine. Israeli forces arrested Eshtewi on April 29th, 2014 in the middle of the night accusing him of participating in and arranging Kufr Qaddum demonstrations.

The unjust decision of the military court states the following:

9 and a half months of actual prison time.
10,000 shekel non-refundable fine.
A 5-year probation period after his prison term, where he cannot participate in any Kufr Qaddum peaceful demonstrations, or he will face a sentence of no less than 12 months in prison.
A 3 year probation period after his prison term, where he cannot participate in any peaceful demonstrations against the Israeli military anywhere else, otherwise he will face a sentence of no less than 6 months in prison.

Murad has been detained in Majedo Military Prison since his arrest in April, and has been suffered from many health problems during this time. His lawyer, Adel Samara, states that Murad has lost over 9 kilos in weight due to harsh and unsuitable holding cells.

In a letter from Murad, he stated the following:

“The accusations that I am charged with is unfair because it is our legal right to protest and participate in demonstrations against the occupation and to struggle for our self-determination as Palestinians.” He added that the peaceful marches in Kufr Qaddum will continue even if the occupation suppresses them over and over again.

Since the arrest of Murad, the Israeli army has raised its level of brutality in dealing with Kufr Qaddum demonstrations. 15 protestors have been shot by live bullets, last week alone recorded two live bullet injuries, a local youth and an Italian supporter, shot in cold blood just for participating in peaceful protests.

Murad calls on the international community and the United Nations to support Kufr Qaddum, to open the road closed by Israeli forces, to support the fair quest of a free Palestine, and to end the occupation and its settlers.

“They fine us so they can pay for more guns and weapons to kill us with,” Murad added. Finally, Murad calls on the people of Kufr Qaddum to keep on struggling against occupation and to never give up.

Israeli forces shot tear gas and live ammunition inside the village of Ni’lin

28th September 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

On Friday the 26th of September, Palestinians, Israelis and ISM activists demonstrated against the illegal settlements and apartheid wall that exist on land belonging to the Palestinian village of Ni’lin.

The demonstration started with a peaceful march towards the apartheid wall. However, the unarmed protesters were unable to get further than 300 meters outside of their village before the Israeli border police and military began to shoot excessive amounts of tear gas directly at them.

The soldiers forced the protestors into the village and continued to be very aggressive towards them. Several tear gas canisters were fired towards the village. One tear gas canister landed inside a house forcing a mother and her six-month-old child to flee. An ambulance arrived to treat a second woman from the same house for excessive tear gas inhalation. The tear gas canister that landed inside the house set fire to the TV causing the house to quickly fill with smoke in addition to the tear gas.

The Israeli soldiers and border police advanced further towards the village school. One ISM’er stated, “I was observing an Israeli soldier approximately 50 meters from the school, when two other soldiers suddenly appeared around the corner. We were completely peaceful and our faces were not covered, however, the soldier proceeded to raise and point his gun at us.”

A few local boys went to the school and threw small stones at the intruding soldiers and border police officers. The Israeli military forces fired live ammunition at the group of boys. Shrapnel from a bullet hit one Palestinian in his back and created an open wound. He received treatment from the Red Crescent present at the demonstration, but did not have to go to the hospital.

According to locals the Israeli military are moving closer and closer to the village every week. Villagers expressed their fear to the ISM’ers that the Israeli soldiers will soon enter the village during a future demonstration.

VIDEO: Israeli forces use violence against unarmed demonstrators attempting to plant olive sapplings in Wadi Foukeen

26th September 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Wadi Foukeen, Occupied Palestine

Wadi Foukeen is a Palestinian village just west of Bethlehem with a population of approximately 1,250 people. A weekly Friday demonstration has been organized by the village community against the Israeli occupation and in response to the recent land grab of 4,000 dunams (nearly 1,000 acres) by the Israeli government. Over a quarter of the confiscated land belongs to the village of Wadi Foukeen, which has already lost much of its land and natural resources to the constantly growing illegal Israeli settlements of Beitar Illit, Hadar Beitar, and Tsur Hadassah that surround it on three sides.

Today’s demonstration began after midday prayers with a peaceful march of about 60 Palestinians, Israelis, and International protesters and media members. The protestors marched from the village mosque to the boundary of the illegal settlement of Beitar Illit. While many of the demonstrators chanted protest songs, waved Palestinian flags and held up signs, another group of protesters dug holes into the ground to plant olive tree saplings while soldiers forcefully tried to prevent them from doing so.

The Israeli forces began to get very aggresive as they shouted at the protestors to leave declaring the area a closed military zone and threatning to use violence against the unarmed protestors if they did not comply. They began to push several Palestinian men holding signs. Without warning, the Israeli forces threw 4 stun grenades directly into the crowd followed by another 4 stun grenades. After the crowd dispersed, the Israeli forces shot several rounds of tear gas at the demonstrators. One man was hit directly in the back by a tear gas canister. Two protestors suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation and needed medical attention.

After a few more minutes, the Israeli forces shot another 6 long-range tear gas canisters into the air. Soon after they began throwing more stun grenades and firing rubber-coated steel bullets directly at a group of young boys throwing small stones. One 15-year-old boy was hit in the foot by a stun grenade. Two boys were hit by rubber-coated steel bullets in their hands, a third boy was hit by a rubber-coated steel bullet in his arm, and a fourth boy was hit by a rubber-coated steel bullet in his side. All of those with injuries required medical treatment.

Tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and arrests

19th September 2013 | International Solidarity Movement | Occupied Palestine

Every week, several villages across the West Bank demonstrate against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. This week, ISM activists attended protests in the villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin, and Nabi Saleh.

During the demonstration in Bil’in, Israeli soldiers shot mass amounts of tear gas at peaceful protesters. Many Palestinians and internationals suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation. An Israeli activist, and a Labour Party Councillor traveling withChi Onwurah, the British Member of Parliament for Newcastle, were arrested.

In Ni’lin, north of Ramallah, the Israeli military shot tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters. The army began shooting unprovoked at Palestinians and internationals as soon as the Friday prayer had finished and people and children as young as five year olds were walking in the area. Several Palestinians were still praying when the military attacked.

The Israeli military shot approximately ten tear gas canisters at a time and also fired rubber coated steel bullets and stun grenades. No one was injured in the demonstration today. For the past weeks the military has moved closer to the residential area of the village, locals have raised concerns that the army will soon enter the village during a demonstration.

During the Nabi Saleh demonstration protesters attempted to reach the gate at the entrance to the village which Israeli forces use to close the village off from the rest of the West Bank. Israeli forces fired many rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrators and used excessive amounts of tear gas. Several people were injured by rubber coated steel bullets. Many protesters also suffered from the effects of the tear gas, which resulted in a Palestinian women being taken to hospital for tear gas inhalation, she was later released.

Israel army cuts electricity to Kufr Qaddum, six villagers dependant on oxygen machines evacuated to hospital

14th September 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Kufr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

Kufr Qaddum was without the electricity since 11pm on Thursday night. Six villagers who are dependant on oxygen machines have been evacuated to the nearby hospital in Nablus. The following morning, at the Friday village demonstration, a young man was hit in the head by a gas canister and was taken to the hospital as well.

Boys and men of Kufr Qadum set out to the weekly Friday demonstration. (Photo by ISM)

The deliberate power cut was an added rage to the weekly Friday demonstration in Kufr Qaddum. A resident explained that the village electricity comes form the illegal Qedumim settlement and that “somebody decided to press the button and cut the supply to the whole village.”

Since 2011, villagers from Kufr Qaddum demonstrate each Friday against the Israeli military. The village of Kufr Qaddum has had much land stolen by the nearby illegal settlement of Qedumim and in 2003 the main road connecting Kufr Qaddum to city of Nablus was closed to Palestinians. “Protests would not stop until the main Kufr Qaddum road, currently usurped by the illegal Qedumim settlers, is returned to us,” the resident added.

The military bulldozer was already at work attempting to clear the rocks demonstrators had placed on the road to prevent the army vehicles from entering the village. As the demonstrators attempted to repel the bulldozer, a group of soldiers tried to keep the protestors away from the bulldozer with continuous barrage of tear gas, frequently fired directly at the protestors, a practice which is against the army’s own regulations, as it turns the “less-lethal” crowd dispersal means into a small rocket.

Early on in the demonstration, a young man was hit in the head by a tar gas canister and was taken to the hospital where he was treated and later released. The army withdrew at around 3pm.