Tag: Skunk Water - Page 2 - International Solidarity Movement

Palestinians block settler road in solidarity with Gaza

2nd August 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Al-Khader, Occupied Palestine

On the 30th July, approximately 40 Palestinian and international activists marched from al-Khader gate on the outskirts of Bethlehem and blocked Road 60, which connects all the illegal settlements in the area to Jerusalem, in protest over Israel’s attack on the people of Gaza. The group peacefully marched up the road leading to the junction connecting the Palestinian road and the settlement road, chanting slogans against the occupation.

When the group reached the junction, they blocked one of the roads for a short time, which involved standing in front of an army jeep, blocking its path. Around five soldiers saw the demonstration and called for reinforcements. After a few minutes, more soldiers arrived and pushed the demonstrators, first onto the pavement and then back down the road. Some of the soldiers were very aggressive and violent towards the Palestinian protestors. The soldiers then closed the military barrier at the end of that road so Palestinian traffic was obstructed. Palestinians continued to chant peacefully from the other side of the barrier and the soldiers stood and watched for a few minutes.

Then suddenly, without warning, soldiers threw and fired multiple stun grenades directly at Palestinians, in breach of military rules. Palestinians were forced to run backwards as three Israeli soldiers positioned themselves on an adjacent area and aimed sniper rifles at the demonstrators.

With the non-violent demonstration having been violently dispersed, a number of Palestinian youths went to another junction nearby and clashed with the Israeli army. The Israeli army fired tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, and ‘skunk’ (chemical) water while Palestinians responded by throwing stones, launching fireworks and burning tires. The military also occupied a number of local houses, from which they fired weapons at youths and protesters.

Five demonstrators injured in violent Nabi Saleh protest

29th December 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

On Friday 27th December, during the weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh, Israeli forces raided the town with a “skunk” (chemical) truck, fired large amounts of tear gas canisters and shot rubbed-coated steel bullets at unarmed protesters. Five people were injured by rubber-coated steel bullets and one woman was shot at extremely close range.

Shortly after the demonstration began, Palestinian and international activists attempt to march towards the local spring which has been stolen by a nearby illegal settlement. Israeli forces responded by firing stun grenades, tear gas canisters, skunk water and rubber-coated steel bullets at the protesters. They then proceeded to raid the village, spraying houses and cars with skunk water. In one Palestinian home, part of their garden caught on fire when a tear gas canister was shot in their fruit trees. Many protesters were forced to seek shelter in houses while Israeli border police entered the village shooting rubber-coated steel bullets at those left on the streets. One protester, Manal Tamini, was shot by four rubber-coated steel bullets in both of her legs

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.

Photographer injured during weekly Bil’in demonstration

7th September 2013 | Friends of Freedom and Justice | Bil’in, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday, Friday 6^th September, the weekly demonstration at Bil’in continued in solidarity towards prisoners in Israel and in protest of the recent settler attack at Al-Aqsa mosque. During the demonstration a photographer, Mohammed Basman Yassin (21) was shot in the leg by a tear gas canister.

The regular demonstration is organised by the Popular Struggle Committee and included dozens of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists. The demonstrations began in protest against the settlements and apartheid wall that was illegally built on Bil’in land.

The protest march began after Friday prayers from the centre of the village heading towards the annexation wall. The activists raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans calling for national unity, resistance against the occupation and the release of all prisoners. As the demonstrators reached the wall area, Israeli occupation forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas canisters, sound grenades and “skunk” water (waste water mixed with chemicals). Some of the youth of Bil’in threw stones at the soldiers, who then proceeded to chase the demonstrators into the olive groves and to the outskirts of the village, which is where Mohammed was injured.

Demonstrators overwhelmed with tear gas (Photo by Mohammed Yasin)

Israeli occupation forces spraying protesters with "skunk" water (Photo by Rani Bomat) — Israeli occupation forces spraying protesters with “skunk” water (Photo by Rani Bomat)

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.

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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.

UPDATE: Two arrested in Nabi Saleh weekly protest

7th June 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

SECOND UPDATE: The two boys, Tamim & Mo’men have now been released.

UPDATE: Tamim (19) and Mo’men (16) Tamimi are currently under interrogation and will remain in prison until at least Sunday.

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Today’s weekly protest in Nabi Saleh was met with skunk water and rubber coated steel bullets. In addition, two people, one of them a child, were arrested.

After midday prayer, around sixty Palestinians, together with Israeli and international activists, marched as usual from the centre of the village towards the stolen spring across the main road.

Demonstrators marching along the road towards the spring (Photo by ISM)

As protesters were building stone barricades along the road to prevent Israeli forces from invading the village, a skunk water truck and two jeeps appeared at the scene. The truck ran over the barricades and drove along the road spraying demonstrators with foul smelling water. Israeli soldiers and border police officers shot several rounds of rubber coated steel bullets injuring one protesters in the right side of the abdomen. After a while, Israeli forces and the truck retreated and protesters took over the road again. As confrontations between Palestinian youths and Israeli forces continued, three jeeps and the skunk water truck chased the protesters up the road spraying the houses and people.

At around 2:30pm, the bulk of the protesters left the area except for a few Palestinian youths who were still on the hilltop throwing stones. Suddenly, when people were resting at the petrol station, four army and border police jeeps joined by the skunk water truck, invaded the village once again and sprayed everything in their way. One adult and one child from the nearby village of Deir Netham, Tamim (19) and Mo’men (16) Tamimi were arrested and taken into the jeeps. See video of the arrest here.

The village of Nabi Saleh has been demonstrating against the theft of the natural spring and the occupation 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. Bassem Tamimi, from Nabi Saleh, has spent 17 months in Israeli jails, merely for being a prominent activist at the protests. After more than three year and despite the repression, Nabi Saleh continues to fight against the injustices of a brutal military Israeli occupation.

Injured protester being treated on spot by Red Crescent personnel (Photo by ISM) — Injured protester being treated on the spot by Red Crescent personnel (Photo by ISM)

Israeli border police officer grabbing the arrested boys (Photo by TPTamimi Press)