Tag: Tear-Gas Canister - Page 25 - International Solidarity Movement

Demonstration in Ya’bad is violently repressed by Israeli forces

21st November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Ya’bad, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday in the village of Ya’bad, a peaceful protest was violently repressed by Israeli forces through the use of tear gas canisters, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets. Demonstrators were directly targeted by Israeli soldiers, five Palestinians were injured and two were arrested.

Yesterday morning at approximately 10:00, six international activists from several solidarity organisations joined around 100 inhabitants of Ya’bad village in a peaceful march on a restricted road at the edge of the village. The event had been organized to protest against settler and soldier harassment. Illegal settlers recently cut down 67 olive trees in front of Israeli soldiers who did nothing to prevent their actions. Soldiers then later forbid Ya’bad residents access to the road that links Tulkarm to Jenin with no justification. Moreover, according to a source from the local municipality, the Israeli army often uses the village itself as a training ground for military maneuvers during the night.

The protest march started quietly, with a few speeches from the demonstrators to the media, in front of the ruined olive trees. Less than ten minutes later the first military jeep arrived, immediately giving the order that the protesters should leave the forbidden road. The demonstrators refused and continued their march.

Shortly after this, two other military jeeps and a larger military vehicle entered the village. After several minutes of the peaceful protest continuing, filmed by local media, the first stun grenades were thrown in the middle of the gathering, immediately followed by shots of tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steal bullets. Israeli forces were extremely aggressive in their attack, five Palestinians were injured after being shot with tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets, three of whom required hospital treatment.

While the demonstrators were taking care of the injured people, the Israeli soldiers took the opportunity to arrest two protesters with absolutely no legal justification.

Israeli forces continued their attack, forcing the demonstration back in to the village. As the villagers were returning to Ya’bad, the soldiers broke into a Palestinian home and took up position on the rooftop where they remained for a number of hours.

Despite the arrests and injuries from this this action, a Palestinian source confirmed the village deemed it a success, the demonstrators openly refused a direct order from the Israeli army and stayed peaceful in the face of violent aggression.

Israeli forces attempt to end the peaceful demonstration (photo by ISM).

Photos of Israeli tear gas canisters fired at Palestinian demonstrators in the Gaza ‘buffer zone’

17th November 2013 | Corporate Watch, Tom Anderson and Therezia Cooper | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Palestinians demonstrate in the buffer zone East of Gaza City on the anniversary of the signing of the Balfour Declaration. (Photo by ISM Gaza) — Palestinians demonstrate in the buffer zone East of Gaza City on the anniversary of the signing of the Balfour Declaration. (Photo by ISM – Gaza team)

On 2nd November 2013 Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinians demonstrating in the Gaza buffer zone East of Gaza City, by the Nahal Oz checkpoint. A report of the demonstration by an eyewitness can be viewed here. Pictures of one of the canisters fired at the activists are shown below.

Corporate Watch has written several articles about Israel’s use of tear gas in the West Bank. Some of our previous work can be found here and here.

This canister looks a little different to the ones that we have seen in the West Bank, particularly because it is encased in a hard plastic shell. We do not have any evidence to determine which company supplied these canisters to the Israeli military. However, we know that tear gas canisters manufactured by Combined Systems (CSI) in the US and Defense Technologies, previously owned by the British arms giant BAE systems and now owned by the US firm Safariland, have been used by the Israeli police and army in the past.

It is imperative that BDS campaigners take action against companies selling tear gas to Israel.

Combined Systems can be contacted at:

388 Kinsman Road, Jamestown, PA 16134

Safariland can be contacted at:

Ontario Headquaters:
Safariland
3120 E. Mission Blvd.
Ontario, CA 91761

Jacksonville Headquarters:
Safariland
13386 International Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32218

Gas canister fired at Palestinian demonstrators in the buffer zone on 2/11/13. (Photo by Corporate Watch)

The three separate pieces of the canister fired at Palestinian demonstrators in the buffer zone – 2/11/13. (Photo by Corporate Watch)

Israeli forces injure 8 Palestinians during aggressive Kafr Qaddum demonstration

15th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

Today, Friday 15th November, the Israeli army detained four children before the weekly demonstration in Kafr Qaddum. Israeli soldiers then invaded the village during the protest, firing many tear gas canisters and injuring 8 Palestinians.

At approximately 9:00 this morning, a group of children were playing in the village, when Israeli forces arrived with military jeeps. The soldiers threw stun grenades and detained the four children, all of whom were extremely young, 5, 7, 8 and 9-years-old. After questioning them about their family and who sent them there, the soldiers released the children.

When Palestinians and international activists began gathering for the demonstration before the Friday prayers, the Israeli army once again stormed the village from the main road leading towards the illegal Israeli settlement of Qedumim. As they entered the village, they fired tear gas canisters directly at the group before the demonstration had even began.

At 12:00 when the demonstration officially started, Israeli soldiers were already in the village, accompanied by three military jeeps and a bulldozer. Many tear gas canisters and stun grenades were fired directly at demonstrators while another group of soldiers moved to a position on the top of the hill overlooking Kafr Qaddum. The Israeli forces then began to shoot tear gas canisters directly into several homes. Six children of the same family suffered from tear gas inhalation; three were evacuated by ambulance. They are between 8 and 14-years-old.

As the local media were filming the scene, a journalist from Palestine TV was injured by a tear gas canister. Seven other Palestinians were injured and one of them was evacuated to hospital in Nablus to receive medical treatment.

Bil’in continue their weekly demonstration against the occupation

12th October 2013 | Friends of Freedom and Justice | Bil’in, Occupied Palestine

Israeli forces and Bil'in demonstratiors — Israeli forces and Bil’in demonstratiors

Yesterday, 11th October, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters at a Palestinian family while they were attempting to harvest their olives. This coincided with the weekly Bil’in demonstration against the Apartheid Wall where Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters.

The Rafeeq Al Khateeb family suffered from tear gas inhalation, fired by Israeli soldiers, while they were attempting to pick olives from their land. Tear gas canisters are often used by Israeli forces in the weekly Friday demonstrations, and yesterday was no exception with many protesters struggling with the large amounts of tear gas fired.

The Friday protest began after afternoon prayers, with Palestinian, Israeli and international activists marching from the village towards the Apartheid Wall. Israeli soldiers met the activists and fired stun grenades, tear gas and plastic-coated steel bullets. Israeli military vehicles then attempted to break up the demonstration and chase protesters away from the Apartheid Wall back towards the village. Bil’in has been demonstrating since 2005 and despite the violence and aggression of the Israeli army, the people of Bil’lin will continue their struggle against the Occupation.

VIDEO: Israeli soldiers fire tear gas canisters and stun grenades at school children

1st October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

This morning, Tuesday 1^st October, Israeli soldiers fired two tear gas canisters and four stun grenades at children on their way to school.

In this case, a few children threw stones and pebbles at Israeli forces as the soldiers stood watching them walk to morning classes. The response from the Israeli soldiers present was incredibly disproportionate.

The incident occurred near checkpoint 29 in Khalil (Hebron) and is not an isolated event. International activists in Khalil monitor several checkpoints each morning, as Israeli soldiers regularly harass, intimidate and fire weapons on children as young as 5-years-old.