Tag: Apartheid Wall

One arrested and seven injured in Ni’lin prayer demonstration

Friday, November 7, 2008

Six residents of Ni’lin and a Danish solidarity activist were injured today by Israeli forces as they demonstrated against the construction of the apartheid wall in the village of Ni’lin. One American solidarity activist was also arrested as the demonstration was coming to an end.

Immediately after a group of 300 Palestinians, accompanied by 25 Israeli and international activists, gathered for a weekly Friday prayer the army began to fire tear gas at those who attempted to enter their land. The canisters being fired were shot directly at the demonstrators, an act which caused multiple of the seven injuries. As the demonstration continued tear gas was not only fired at the Palestinians and internationals attempting to enter the land but also into the village of Ni’lin, away from the demonstration. During the four hour demonstration rubber bullets and sound bombs were also used by the Israeli army.

The Palestinians gathered in this weekly demonstration to attempt to cross their land towards the construction site of the illegal apartheid wall which would annex another 40% of Ni’lin’s land accumulating a loss of around 85% of it’s land since 1948.

The Danish solidarity activist, was taken immediately for treatment in Ramallah after having being shot from close range by Israeli forces with tear-gas cannisters, in the arm. she required 15 stitches to her arm as well as being treated for shock. The six injured Palestinians, one of which was hit in the head with a tear gas canister and badly wounded, were all treated at the local clinic. The American activist was detained by the Israeli forces and remains in custody.

Five people injured as Ni’lin maintains its resistance to the construction of the apartheid wall

November 2, 2008

On the 2nd November, a demonstration against the Apartheid Wall began in Ni’lin at 1.30 in the afternoon. 50 Palestinians gathered with 6 internationals by the municipality and marched towards the construction site in hopes of intervening with the construction work on the wall.

When the demonstrators were stopped by the presence of the Israeli army, they began to chant against the occupation and the wall. Within 5 minutes, the soldiers began to shoot tear gas canisters directly at the crowd. One person was hit by the tear gas canister because the widespread Israeli tactic of shooting directly at rather than above the demonstrators.

The protesters withdrew into the olive groves and the soldiers began to shoot rubber-coated steel bullets in addition to the gas. The soldiers fired rubber-coated steel bullets aiming at the demonstrators from a very close distance.

Until 17.30, the people of Ni’lin displayed their strong resistance to the construction of an illegal wall which if built will annex much of their land. A total of 5 people were injured: 2 were with tear gas canisters and 3 were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets. Ni’lin will continue their actions against the Apartheid Wall during the week and will hold their weekly prayer demonstration this Friday.

Four people shot with rubber-coated steel bullets as protesters delay construction of the apartheid wall in Ni’lin

October 31, 2008

The weekly Friday prayer demonstration began at 12.00 near the Ni’lin clinic with residents of Ni’lin praying on their land.


Video courtesy of Israel Putermam

Shortly after the prayer, 200 Palestinians supported by 20 international and Israeli activists marched towards the construction site of the Apartheid Wall.

After arriving at the site to discover that bulldozers were not working, the demonstrators created roadblocks meant to delay the next day’s work and to stop the Israeli army. Not 10 minutes after arriving at the site, 4 jeeps with Israeli soldiers arrived and instantly began to shoot tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets at the demonstrators, The crowd retreated into the olive groves and continued to show their resistance to the annexation of Nilin’s land until 16.00.

Once the soldiers drove back towards their base, several people ran to the construction site in the hopes of disabling equipment meant for the Apartheid Wall. The jeeps quickly returned and fired directly at the demonstrators with tear gas and rubber bullets. The crowd headed back for the town soon after. Injured with rubber-coated steel bullets were Muhamad Imad Tantur (18) who suffered a broken hand from a bullet, Khamis Umirah (28) who was shot in the hand, Ala Ali Khawaja (20) was shot in the back and Sa’ad Ibrahim Umirah (20) was shot in the face.

Israeli forces attack residents of Ni’lin as they pray on their land

Friday, October 24, 2008

The weekly prayer demonstration in Ni’lin began at 11.15am, when Israeli soldiers began to shoot tear gas at a group of residents attempting to pray on their land. Those praying moved to another spot, where the soldiers continued to shoot tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets directly at the crowd, which contained many children. They shot from two sides of the people, forcing them to stay amongst the tear gas. The crowd then moved to yet another location, where they held the prayer.

The demonstrators (consisting of around 150 Palestinians and 20 international and Israeli activists) then spread throughout the fields, as the soldiers were shooting tear gas into the air. There were several different groups in the fields: one that remained closer to the village and a group that attempted to march to construction site of the Apartheid Wall. Both groups reunited when the army pushed them close to the Ni’lin clinic. The Israeli soldiers shot directly at the demonstrators and much of the tear gas entered the clinic. Two were injured at the site of the clinic, a Palestinian was shot in the head and an ISM volunteer was shot in the side with rubber coated steel bullets.

After an hour, the soldiers pulled back towards the construction site, but continued to shoot at the demonstrators as they walked back. The demonstrators followed to the hill above the construction site, where they were heavily tear gassed. Once the Israeli soldiers had left, a small group of demonstrators remained and set fire inside a water pipe, damaging the inside metal in the hope that they could delay the building of the wall. Once soldiers arrived at the scene, around 16.00, the demonstration was declared over.
The extreme violence used against the demonstrators in Ni’lin has not deterred their resistance. Several times a week, residents and activists gather to protest the Apartheid Wall. While most demonstrators were tear gassed during the demonstration, many were injured with rubber coated steel bullets. The village of Ni’lin will continue their resistance despite the casualties they suffer.

Ni’lin demonstration manages to reach bulldozers

Thursday, October 23, 2008.

Around 10am, fifty Palestinians along with several international activists, marched towards the olive groves of Ni’lin to protest the construction of the Apartheid Wall.

The demonstrators arrived at the bulldozers and began to shout and throw rocks at the vehicle. After 5 minutes, the Israeli army showed up at the scene and began to fire tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets at the demonstrators. The Palestinians and internationals retreated into the trees but continued to shout against the army. Until 5am, the soldiers continued to shoot at the demonstrators in the fields.

During this time, the soldiers came into the village, near the Ni’lin clinic. They shot rubber-coated bullets and tear gas cannisters directly into the village, several into homes. Most of the demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation as a result of the high amount used by the Israeli soldiers, and several Palestinians were shot with rubber coated steel bullets, including one injured with a bullet to his head.

In the West Bank village of Ni’lin, a resistance against the construction of a wall which will confiscate Palestinians’ land continues. The building of the Apartheid Wall will further assist in the deterioration of lives of residents. The Wall will not only steal privately-owned land, but will ensure that Ni’lin residents will be more restricted in their movement, having to pass through a checkpoint to reach other villages.