In the demonstration against the separation fence of this Friday participated about 200 people, among them two dozens international activists and about 60 Israelis. During the suppression of the demonstration about 35 participants detained and about 10 were injured. This Friday demonstration was part of the nonviolent struggle at the Bil'in village for the last few months. As usual, the demonstration started from the center of the village on the main road to the route of the separation fence. That day theme was the "statistics" of the separation fence and the struggle against it in general and in Bil'in. For instance, number 9 was on the black shirts of many of the participants - the toll of people murdered in demonstrations against the separation fence at the last years, and 158 which is the number of people injured in the previous demonstrations in Bil'in.
After a short march, with the special structure of that demonstration at the had, we arrived at the fringe of the built area of the village where the army blocks lately our way with a line of barbed wire across the road and extended few meters to each side of it.
After about 20 minutes of chanting there, we took the artistic structure to a near by courtyard and the demonstrators took a roundabout path towards the fence route. The confused soldiers responded to the unexpected act by shooting us with shock and tear gas grenades, physical violence and big number of detentions - 33 people among them 10 internationals, and about 10 people were injured - including one Israeli demonstrator who was dragged on the rough terrine with her face down.
An hour after the end of the demonstration, all the detained except two were released at the fence site where they were held for two and a half hours. The two (Israelis) were taken to the neighboring Givat Zeev police station and were released after two additional hours on bail and commitment not to return to Bil'in for two weeks.
The demonstration that was at a time Israel public is concentrating on the withdrawal from the Gaza strip, had a special meaning. It got lot of internet, radio an TV media coverage.
It reminded people not to be too optimistic about the effect of disengagement in Gaza on the rest of the occupation in the west bank.
And the struggle at Bil'in will continue!!!
[againstwall*] updates + press from today's demo in Bil'in
Hey everybody, here's part of what happened today in the demo:
einat was injured in her face, after a soldier hit her head on a rock while arresting her. at first the army didn't let the red crescent to reach her, and refused to evacuate her to a hospital. it took more than an hour to get them to realize the girl need medical care. she was then taken taken to asaf harofe hospital, and was released after examinations that establish she did not break her nose. there were 33 people that were arrested, or more accurately detained. they were beaten while their arrest. 31 of them were released once the demo was over (an hour later actually)
2 of us, barak and gabi, were taken to givat zeev under the false accusation of assault, but were released 2 hours later with a restriction of 15 days from Bil'in.
it wasn't all bad though- we got a lot of media coverage, thanks to a soldier that moved to our side, and decided to fight the occupation...she was interrogated by mezah and is now at home. we don't really know what's gonna happen with her.
this is it, i think. forgive my crappy english. it was a long day....
here is some links from the mainstream press:
http://www.ynet.co.il/home/0,7340,L-8,00.html headline in ynet
http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART/970/253.html headline in nrg
http://news.nana.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=198594&sid=16 headlne in nana
http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/9/761996
it was also on every news report in galatz rad [military managed leading radio station. I.S.] and kol israel [main radio station. I.S]
have a good weekend. don't forget all the activities next week: there will be an action in Bil'in almost every day. call k. for details. also next week- big demo in immatain. more details on sunday
yalla bye
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35 arrested [Only two were really taken to police station after two hours of detention at the site. The other two released on bail additional two hours at police station. I.S.] , eight injured in Bil'in - Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies - Friday, 12 August 2005
Israeli soldiers attacked a peaceful protest against the Separation Wall in Bil'in village, west of Ramallah, and arrested 25 Israeli activists, and nine Internationals.
Eight protestors were injured, including one |international who was injured in her head, and transferred a Red Crescent ambulance to a hospital in Ramallah.
Two Israeli soldiers were reportedly injured, according to Israeli military sources.
A female Israeli soldier, wearing her military uniform, was also arrested by the Israeli army and transferred to military custody. The soldier, who was wearing her military uniform, was protesting against the Wall along with the Palestinian and international activists.
According to Israeli military sources, this is the third time in which the soldier participates in a protest against the Wall.
The protestors carried an incarnate of the shape of guillotine with a hanged doll resembling the damage and losses the Wall causes to the Palestinian residents and their farmlands. Also, the protestors carried an incarnate of the Wall and wrote on it “The Wall is a murder tool; its construction kills our life”.
The protestors wore shirts which carried dozens of numbers including the number (2300) which refers to the amount of [dunams] annexed farmlands in Bil'in, and (158) which is the number or protestors injured so far during the protests in the village.
Also, soldiers arrested Yonatan Carmeli-Polak, head of “Anarchists Against the Wall” movement [abasurd reference to long years activist of the Anarchist Against The Wall initiative, who is often delegated the task to be the spokeperson.... I. S.].
Carmeli-Polak always documents the protests against the Wall in Bil'in [the author mix bwetween, Yonatan Polak and his elder half brother Shay Carmeli-Polakand. I.S.] broadcast it on Israel's Cable TV channel 8.
A video footage captured by Carmeli-Polak acquitted a Palestinian resident at an Israeli military court, and proved that the Israeli Border Guard Police is using excessive violence against the peaceful protest.
Army said that soldiers will return the Press card of Pollack after they confiscated it last month, when he used his video footage at the Israeli court.
The army claimed that some youth hurled stones at the soldiers during the protest, [stone throwing start usually by village youngsters who are not participating in the nonviolent demonstration itself, and nearly always only after the Israli state forces start to attak the nonviolent demonstrators... I.S.] organizers of the protest said that it was one of the peaceful protest carried out weekly in the village.
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* http://groups.yahoo.com/group/againstwall is the mailing list of the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative.
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