Salmuna 28-2 2-3 2007 The struggle against the separation fence in the region of Um Salmuna (south of Bethlehem's) was started weeks ago. Preparation for the hot struggle when the actual construction of the separation fence in the region took place. Including contacts with activists of Bil'in struggle, a big demonstration and a conference of local activists and those of Israeli anarchists against the wall, a big delegation of people of the region to the Bil'in two years celebration/ demo a week ago.... The days of th actual building of the fence arrived, and the intense struggle with them. Following is a report of activity of two days ago copied from the AATW website (http://awalls.org/six_demonstrators_arrested_after_blocking_bulldozers_in_um_salmuna)
Six demonstrators arrested after blocking bulldozers in Um Salmuna 28/02/2007
Fifty Palestinians, Israelis and international activists managed to stop construction today during a demonstration against the wall. This is the second day in a row demonstrators confront army and police in an attempt to save village land from being destroyed for the wall. Three people were arrested yesterday – the village's mayor and an assistant of his, who were released a few hours later, and the mayor's son, who still remains in custody.
At about 10 am the demonstrators marched towards the works, passed the armed security men, who aimed live ammunition at the protesters. Demonstrators then climbed the bulldozers, successfully bringing all work in the site to a halt for over two hours. After a large force of police and army arrived at the scene, demonstrators agreed to shortly move away from the bulldozers, so that workers fix a water pipe they had damaged as a result of work on the wall, and cut the village's water supply.
As soon as it became clear that construction work on the wall continues, demonstrators returned to block the bulldozers.
Four Israeli anarchists and two internationals were subsequently arrested, and taken to a police station in a nearby settlement. They were all released a few hours later, on condition that they do not come near the path of the wall in Um Salmuna for 15 days
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Today, was another demonstration in Um Salamuna. Following is the invitation for it: I just heard from O. that the folks in Um Salamuna are planning an action for tomorrow. Unlike yesterdays' heroic action (https://israel.indymedia.org/index.php) this one sounds a little less ambitious.
People who want to come can meet at the central bus station near the service taxis at 10 am. There will probably be transportation for 5 people to go. For more details please call O.
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Um Salmuna 2-3-07; Walk away from shame by kobi snitz
A wide strip of upturned earth cut across the hills where the bulldozers were working the previous day. Speakers climbed on top of a bolder up and delivered speeches, which required no metaphors. The land, the points of guns and the large settlement on the opposite hill all painted a self-explanatory picture. Click on image for a larger version
They will uproot and we will sow, they will kill but we will live soldiers put down your guns You can walk away from the shame of pointing them at unarmed people.
This scene took place today on the lands of Um Salamuna, near Bethlehem Where Work on the wall on the village's lands near Wadi Nis started recently and was immediately met with courageous resistance. On Tuesday the people of the village stopped the bulldozers and on Wednesday they were joined by a group of Israelis and internationals (israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/6124/index.php) and did the same again.
Today the village mounted a large demonstration with about 300 people from the villages in the area as well as a bus of students from Bethlehem. Several Israelis and internationals from the Anarchists against the wall, PSP and Taayush, also joined the demonstration. The turnout showed some very positive signs, most of the people came from Wadi Nis and Um Salamuna and 300 people is a large number for two villages of about 1000 each, to turn out. In addition, many women participated in the demonstration and outside support in the form of the students from Bethlehem who carried the flag of ‘al Mubadara' (the Palestinian national initiative). The leader of the Mubadara, Mustapha Barguthy also attended the demonstration along with activists from the Hebron area.
The bulldozers were not in sight today although apparently they did work at a distance. The demonstration marched along the main road and took control of the flow of traffic in both directions. Civilian cars were allowed to pass but army jeeps were forced to wait for the procession to slowly make its way. After the speeches, the marchers took the road again and returned to the village on their own time.
The next few weeks will be critical for the struggle in the area; the organizers in the village are calling for daily actions to stop the bulldozers, starting on Sunday. Israelis and internationals are asked to help with these actions. If they are successful and a sustained struggle takes hold in the area it will contribute to the goal, which Barguthy described at the meeting after the demonstration. He described a picture of dozens of Bili'ns around the west bank demonstrating together. Israelis and internationals should try to find the resources to support such a struggle if it starts.
See pictures at:
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/6132/index.php
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Following the demonstration of today, another call was issued:
After a busy week that included three different actions in the village(a small and violent one on Tuesday, a direct action on Wednesday (https://israel.indymedia.org/index.php), and a 300 people one today), the people of Um Salmuna have called for Israelis and internationals to join them in the struggle against the apartheid wall that is being build on their land, this is a critical time for the struggle over there because the wall is being built everyday and it's important for us to go there and stop the construction works while it's happening, it looks like there's going to be actions there during the week, hopefully a few times a week, next week it is planned to be on Sunday and Monday.
please call B. if u can come .
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In Bil'in it was the 108th Friday demonstration against the separation fence and the occupation. The following report is available with pictures on the web site of the anarchists against the wall initiative, members of it participated in the demo. http://awalls.org/12_year_old_underwent_surgery_after_being_shot_in_the_head_from_close_range_in_bilin_demo
12 year old underwent surgery after being shot in the head from close range in Bil'in demo at: 02/03/2007
Over 600 demonstrators from all over the West Bank marched in Bil'in today, accompanied by Israelis and internationals. The DFLP (Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine) marked its 38th anniversary by joining the demonstration. The hundreds who came to participate charged the demonstration with new energies. The army, however, presented nothing new, reacted to an extravagant spirit of liberty by even greater use of violence than normally. Twenty one demonstrators were injured in varying degrees of severity, including four that had to be hospitalized. One of them, twelve-year old Mahmoud Yusef Abu Rahme was shot in the forehead, suffered a broken skull and underwent a lifesaving operation in Sheikh Zaid hospital in Ramallah.
A rally celebrating the 38th anniversary of the left wing DFLP faction was held in the village, where hundreds from all over the West Bank gathered. After a long hour of speechifying, customary in such events, demonstrators started marching towards the wall, and were blocked by soldiers standing in front of the gate.
The soldiers immediately began pushing and shoving the demonstrators, which was answered by a barrage of stones so short that the demonstration managed to gather again in front of the gate a few seconds later.
It took no more than a few minutes for the soldiers to start pushing and hitting demonstrators with their batons. Wagee Burnat of Bil'in was injured above his eyebrow from a baton charge. Wagee's injury was immediately followed by the use of teargas, which provoked stone throwing, and was followed by scores of rubber bullets and teargas projectiles being shot.
Ten minutes later, demonstrators who were pushed to a small hill on the side of the gate succeeded in regathering in front of the gate. While most protesters were centered around the gate, climbing it, trying to pass and chanting slogans, another group was standing in front of a line of soldiers a few meters
into the village, trying to prevent them from shooting.
Then, at some point, 16-year old Fares Abu Ghosh said something to a soldier and walked away after the soldier had threatened to arrest him. As he was walking away, and with absolutely no apparent reason, the soldier shot him three times with rubber bullets in his hip and arms from about 10 meters. The boy's father then ran towards the soldier, pushing and hitting him. This was used by the army as an excuse to start shooting at everything and everyone once more.
As soldiers were shooting indiscriminately, wounded demonstrators were brought to a makeshift infirmary. As the injured were being treated, whizzing bullets whistled by the paramedics. An elderly DFLP guy, a veteran of many years of struggle, who had been forced to exile during the first intifada, shouted to the soldiers: "You can shoot our bodies, but you could never kill our spirit".
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