Tag: Rubber-coated steel bullets - Page 27 - International Solidarity Movement

Nabi Saleh: Israeli Soldiers Shoot 15 year old in the face with rubber coated steel bullet

by Jonathan Pollack

23 March 2012 | Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

15 year-old Ez Tamimi minutes after being shot in the face. Picture credit: ActiveStills

The bullet shot from a short distance hit the boy in the face penetrating his right cheek and piercing it.

Israeli Border Police officers shot a rubber-coated bullet at 15 year-old Ezz Tamimi’s face from a distance of about 20 meters, during the weekly demonstration in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh today. The bullet, which hit the boy’s cheek, went through it, gouging a large hole in it. The Israeli army’s own open-fire regulations forbid the use of rubber-coated bullets against minors.

Media contact: Jonathan Pollak +972-54-632-7736

The incident took place at the center of the village ,hundreds of meters away from where a demonstration was taking place, when Border Police officers invaded the village.

For the first time in months, protesters managed to reach the vicinity of the contested water spring, which sparked village demonstrations over two years ago when taken over by settlers. The protesters, mainly women from the village, managed to confound the soldiers by advancing towards the spring from an unexpected direction. The protesters who were held back by the soldiers meters away from the fountain proceeded to block the road leading to the adjacent Jewish-only settlement of Halamish for some 20 minutes.

The previous night, the Israeli army staged another nighttime raid on the village, an what has become an almost nightly practice in the past three weeks.

Awaiting release and hearings of local activists, Kufr Qaddoum met with more Israeli violence

by Robin and Leila

23 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Protest against the occupation, Kfer Qaddum, West Bank, 23.3.2012 — Demonstrators take cover as the Israeli army shoots tear gas. Photo by: Oren Ziv/ Activestills.org

It was under a bright, sunny sky that the people of Kufr Qaddoum once again gathered to protest against the roadblock which isolates them from the rest of the West Bank. The past week there had been much frustration and anger since Murad Ashtawi, member of the Popular Committee, was arrested during last week’s demonstration.

To everyone’s suprise, Murad was released yesterday, along with four other prisoners who are locals of Kufr Qaddoum. Ahmad Ashtawi, who was bitten by an attack dog in last week’s demonstration, is still being held captive along with seven other prisoners from Kufr Qaddoum.

Both Ahmad and Murad have their court hearings this Sunday. Murad is accused of pushing a soldier, and Ahmad is accused of throwing rocks.

There was a great turnout of people today consisting of both Palestinians and internationals. Spirits were high as the demonstration moved towards the road block that cuts of Kufr Qaddoum from easy access to Nablus. Marchers were accompanied by music and cheering. When they reached the soldiers blocking the road there was dancing and speeches.

The soldiers immediately responded with excessive amounts of tear gas, which scattered the crowd and pushed the demonstration further back. The military then shot a significantly high amount of rancid smelling “skunk water” at the people and at the homes of Kufr Qaddoum as the skunk water truck entered the village.

Many people experienced an increased amount of tear gas today which resulted in several people suffering from tear gas inhalation and also being hit by flying canisters.

According to the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee,

A delegation of foreign diplomats visited Kufr Qaddoum, south of Nablus, after soldiers sicced a dog at one of the protesters last week, causing him serious harm. During the visit, several of the diplomats suffered from the effects of tear-gas, shot at protesters to disperse the demonstration. Jorge Lobo de Masquita, Representative of Portugal to the Palestinian Authority , as well as a South African diplomat were rushed to an ambulance, where they were given first aid for tear-gas inhalation.

Rubber coated steel-bullets and soundbombs were also used to harm the protesters. Mita, a French international activist, was hit by a canister fired at the crowd as she was running from the soldiers. The tear gas cannisterboth bruised and burned her lower calf.

Robin and Leila are volunteers with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

When teargas and rubber bullets are not enough: Israeli soldiers release the hounds on unarmed Palestinian protesters

17 March 2012 | Ni’lin Village

The jaws of Zionism locked – Click here for more photos

In Kufur Qaddoum, clashes between Israeli Border Police officers who shot tear-gas projectiles and rubber-coated bullets and local youth who threw stones at the forces developed. Roughly 15 minutes later – in a scene that seemed as if it was taking place in the American South of the 1960s – Border Police officers decided to sic an army dog at a group of the demonstrators, standing several dozens of meters away. The dog chased after the protesters, biting and locking his jaws into the arm of one of them – Ahmad Shtawi.

For long minutes, the dog would not release its hold of the bleeding arm, even as its handler arrived at the scene and tried to order it to do so. The Border Police officers then arrested Shtawi, despite the fact he was in obvious need of medical attention. Morad Shtawi, a member of the village’s popular committee, tried to reason with the commanding officer into releasing young man. He was then pepper-sprayed and arrested as well.

Two other residents of the village were injured during the demonstration, after being hit by tear-gas projectiles shot directly at them. One was hit in the leg and another in the shoulder.

The weekly protest in Kufer Qaddoum, west of Nablus, was dedicated to the memory of Rachel Corrie – an American protester who was killed after an Israeli D9 bulldozer drove over her in Rafah exactly nine years ago, on March 16, 2003.

In Nabi Saleh, at least three protesters were injured during the demonstration, including an Israeli woman who was hit in the head by a rubber-coated bullet. The two others were hit lightly injured, one by a rubber-coated bullet and the other by a tear-gas projectile. The woman was evacuated to the Ramallah hospital.
Earlier today, large forces entered the village and sprayed a foul-smelling liquid known as the Skunk from a water cannon.
During the night, the army staged yet another raid on the village, the fifth in a week’s time.

In Ni’lin,, demonstration was held despite the rainy weather, the demonstration was dedicated to the American activist Tristan Anderson who was shot by high velocity tear gas projectile in his head by the Israeli soldiers in 13.03.2009 in the middle of Ni’lin village. also commemorating the anniversary to the killing of Rachel Corrie in gaza strip by an israeli military bulldozer.
Israeli soldiers fired massive tear gas canister at protester,rubber coated bullets and skunk water,one demonstrator was hit with a rubber bullet in his hand and was treated directly.

Introducing Bil’in: The ritual of resistance and oppression

by Sophie Van Dijk

2 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Today we went to Bil’in, a small village 17 km from Ramallah. For decades it has been harassed by the Israeli army. When the Apartheid Wall was constructed, it separated the farmers from their land.

Seven years ago, the villagers succeeded in moving the wall a bit towards the settlements again and gained back a few meters of the land where their great grandparents already lived.

Every Friday after that, there where demonstrations organized. For my friend and I, this was our first demonstration in the West Bank.
Luckily we had a bit of an idea about what to expect because the others told us about the situation.

When we arrived in Bil’in we gathered together with the villagers and went together to the place where the demonstration was held. One of the villagers we met there had been already arrested 3 times. Still that doesn’t stop him for going on with fighting for his land and his people.

We drove through the valley, it was all so beautiful, the atmosphere relaxed, and the people loving. I almost forgot that the country is occupied, until we arrived at the Wall, with barbed wire fence to protect it.

Soldiers stood behind it with their “toys,” at least that’s the way it looked.

It all started off really quiet. There was some yelling, some hanging around at the wall but nothing more then that.

The soldiers came and were looking at us from the other side of the wall at what we were doing. A few of the Palestinian boys started throwing rocks, which obviously was purely symbolic. The soldiers were far away and wore protection.

Some of the boys tried to get through the wire to the wall. A few managed to do that and started laughing and slapt the wall a bit. It was still a very friendly protest.

My friend, Mira, and I were taking videos and pictures. At some point the soldiers started shooting teargas directed at us, who were filming. Thick clouds of smoke were surrounding us within seconds. It smelled like fire works, but more sour and very sharp. I couldn’t see anything and breathing was really difficult. My cheeks and nose were burning.

After a few minutes I was fine again. Luckily Mira was able to avoid it a bit more than I did.

After this action from the military, we pulled back and stayed a bit away. After a while we went to the group again. For half an hour the situation was again like before. Hanging out, boys throwing rocks again, and I even heard one of the boys communicating with one of the soldiers.

The short conversation ended in laughter of the soldier and a few minutes after that there came a lot of teargas again, even more than before. This time it was Mira who suffered more from the gas.

When the action ended I heard that they did shoot rubber coated steel bullets at the boys, “But probably it was meant as a warning to not 0come too close to the wall,” another protester said

Even though the whole action looks like a ritual almost, it makes me more angry than I was before. Taking away the land, using weapons towards people, children even, who have absolutely nothing. The soldiers themselves are even kids, like 17 -18 years old. Just boys fighting an old man ‘s war filled with hate already from since they were born.

How crazy is that? By far, i haven’t seen the worst yet..

We will see what the future brings Free Palestine!
Boycott Israel ( bar code beginning with ” 729″ )

Clashes and arrests in the town of Tur

by Asmaa Thaher

28 February 2012 | Jerusalem Center for Media

Broke out this evening clashes in the town of Tur East Jerusalem and the occupation forces arrested two young men from the region.

Our correspondent said that the clashes broke out near Al-Maqased hospital and Tur club down to the Sawwanah neighborhood crossroads.

He said that the occupation authorities used large amounts of tear gas, rubber and sound bullets, and youths response with throwing stones and iron bars at soldiers.

Witnesses said that soldiers arrested two young men at least in the confrontations that take place in the town for the fourth day in the neighborhood protesting to storm Al Aqsa Mosque on Friday.