Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, Just a regular act of joint struggle against the fence and occupation. 17 Nov 2006

For long we have already stopped to count the Friday demonstration and other direct actions we did together in Bil'in since February 2005 (more than hundred joint confrontations with the Israeli state forces, by the Bil'in villagers together with the Israeli activists of the anarchists against the wall and international activists. To day we started as usual at noon with the march on the road leading to the route of the separation fence. Chanting all the way to the blocked gate to the route and beyond. On the way we could see the Israeli soldiers standing near the last houses of the village, waiting in provocation for the stone thrower youth. Most of the youth dispersed on the two sides of the road waiting for the usual confrontation to start. About 5 of them "joined" the match towards the blocked gate to the route, to throw stones behind the backs of the non violent demonstration.

When we arrived at the blocked gate we seen that the state forces fortified it with lot of spools of barbed wire. The more daring demonstrators were not satisfied by merely verbal confrontation and started to pool the barbed wire so the gate will not be blocked.... From time to time, the state forces threw shock grenades, but the experienced demonstrators just moved a meter or so from grenades and continue pooling.

Standing on elevated ground near the gate I seen there the stone throwers contemplating when to start to throw the stone behind our backs. After a while, one of the started to count loudly and at three they threw a short shower of stones and run away - leaving the nonviolent demonstrators to receive the retaliation of the state forces to continue their throwing from a less dangerous distance.

The state forces used plenty of shock grenades, tear gas canisters and even shoot metal bullets covered by rubber.

On our way back we seen a group of soldiers who forced their way to the roof of a house in the outskirt of the village and was shooting and throwing grenades on the stone throwers and the returning demonstrators. Few Israelis and local comrades confronted them verbally and it took long time till they got down from the roof.

During the time of confrontation till we returned to Tel Aviv, one Palestinian was hit with a bullet to his head and was rushed to hospital. One Israeli comrade was hit a bit less seriously in her belly. Many had nasty experience with the tear gas.