Saturday, March 31, 2007

Palestine-Israel, Friday demonstrations in Bil'in, Um Salmuna, Budrus, and kafin - The joint struggle against separation fence + occupation 31 Mar 07

In Bil'in it was not as usual as the new regional commander is experimenting. It was also "The Earth Day" - the yearly commemoration of the Israeli Palestinian struggle against the confiscation of lands in the North of Israel (Sahnin) for the building of the Jewish town of Carmiel 31 years ago. (As part of the Zionists effort to keep the Jewish majority in the North of Israel). Thus, it was a bigger demonstration than usual - few hundreds, with lot of participants from Ramallah - the city of the region. Palestinians, internationals, Israeli anarchists against the wall, and lot of media - including direct live TV of Algazira. On the way to the route of the separation fence, we passed near the border gendarmes provocateurs unit at the outskirt of the village - advanced there to ensure the stone throwing of the village kids.

We continued marching on the kilometer long road to the western lands of the village where the separation fence cut them to enable their confiscation for the building of the settler colonialist town Modi'in Ilit.

This Friday, the surprise was a water canon vehicles that tried with short shots to prevent us from approaching the gate to the route and the other side. It was also the first time the gate was locked to evade the usual struggle to open it... When the short periods of spray of water failed to deter us, the soldiers showered us with shock grenades which triggered the stone throwing of these who do not adhere to the non violent mode.

As usual, the soldiers drove them away - together with the less daring demonstrators, while the nonviolent demonstrators moved to the side for a while... and I found myself standing alone for a while in front of the gate till the other comrades returned. Later it was the push and counter push... and in about half an hour the soldiers "conquered" a stretch of 5 meters.

To day, the first time during the second year of Friday demos, organizers succeeded to draw the commander into agreement that the soldiers and border gendarmes who were fighting the kids at the entrance of the village will withdraw, to enable us to return peacefully to the village.

In Um Salmuna there was no confrontation with the Israeli state force. few hundreds people of Palestinians from the region, international and a big contingent of anarchists against the wall congregated near the building area of the separation fence. To prevent confrontation there were not works there. After the Muslims noon prayer all the demonstrators marched on the main road blocking for a while the traffic of the near by Jewish colonial settlements.

The demonstration in Budrus was the hottest one. few hundred demonstrators - Palestinians, Internationals, AATW, and media, marched towards the separation fence. When they arrived at the gate to the West, it was not protected - the soldier were far from it, so the people forced it open. The Israeli state force rushed to the gate - dispersing the people there with shooting of their arsenal. Then the people regrouped and speeches were carried. At the end of the demonstration, to make the people disperse faster, and to punish them for the opening of the gate, the army shoot the people again.

In Kafin, congregated about 900 people for the Ard Day = Earth Day. Palestinians, Internationals AATW people and Media... When the marchers arrived at the separation fence, the state force blocked their way with some pushes. Towards the end, some stone throwers did their thing - and state force responded with some shooting of rubber coated bullets.

Media report on two demonstrators slightly wounded and one border gendarme too, in Bil'in demo, and three demonstrators wounded in Budrus.

Related links: http://ainfos.ca http://matzpen.org http://shalif.com/anarchy/glimpses/glimpses.html

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