In Bil'in it was the 130th Friday demonstration against the separation fence and occupation. At noon, we marched as usual - Palestinians of the village and the region, internationals, and Israelis of the anarchists against the wall initiative. On the road to the gate of the separation fence we chanted as usual - thinking about the lands of the village beyond it (55% of the village lands) and about the settler colonialist company building on that land that just got bankrupt (which the struggle of Bil'in contributed to it by freezing their project more than a year ago by court order). When we arrived at the foot of the hill the gate is on its top, the Israeli state force started to shower us with tear gas. The people dispersed among the olive trees slowly retreating towards the village. However, due to the persistence of many participants, and the frequent change of direction of wind, tens of us were not deterred and stayed near the separation fence and the soldiers who failed to get rid of us. (When the demonstrators are about a meter or so near the state forces among the trees, it is very hard for them to drive the demonstrators away.)
After the soldiers wasted most of their stock of tear gas, and fire caused by the shooting of tear gas canisters caught the dry grass among the trees, a kind of non formal truce arrived at and the state forces let the demonstrators extinguish it and nearly mingled with the soldiers.
After two hours the demonstration finished - leaving behind some kids who confronted the state force with stones.
On the way back to Tel Aviv a comrade who stayed about two hours at the front, described the many cases he seen when the changing wind blew the tear gas back to the soldiers with the demonstrators near them ridiculing them. and at south of Bethlehem too. -----------------------------------------
At the south, the relatively new front there were two demonstrations. The participants as usually in the joint actions of the last few years: local Palestinians from the village(s) involved and the region, international activists - mostly of the ISM, and Israelis - mostly of the AATW initiative.
The first demonstration was late morning at the village Artas. A comrade who participated there report: "At the Artas demo we marched to the site of the uprooted trees. The army was perhaps unprepared or else decided to not interfere. So, we managed to do that without any trouble. After surveying the area and making some speeches we returned to the village."
The second demonstration was at noon at the Walage village. The comrade describe: "At Walaga, a very large crowed was present, reinforced by buses from Hebron. The mosques were all closed so people would come to pray (the Friday noon prayer) on the land at the demo. After prayer at the edge of the work site of the separation fence, we marched down the road towards the old checkpoint and again the army did not interfere. We went home without any trouble." -----------------------------------------------------
At Jafa, Activists organized together with the local Palestinian citizens of Israel started today a project of rebuilding a demolished house of a Palestinian family. This demolition is part of a municipality and state project to demolish about 500 houses of Palestinians in Jafa in a gentrification/Jewfication efforts. Following is an excerpt of the call for action. (This action is part of ongoing struggle against the demolition of Palestinian houses in Jafa the AATW participate in.)
Home Rebuilding in Jafa, starting August 3rd 2007
Jafa for it's Residents, not for the Capitalists!
Three weeks ago, the Israel Land Administration destroyed the home of Zina and Omar Al-Adassi in Ajami neighborhood. Following the demolition, the Jafa Popular Committee, acting together with the Al-Adassi family, decided to initiate the rebuilding of the home.
The decision is part of the Committee's general policy, supported by Jafa residents:
We will not stop opposing home demolitions!
Every house demolished will be build anew!
A complete solution must be found for Jafa's residential problems, for the current generation as well as the next!
On the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of August, there will be a rebuilding effort.
Business owners and builders from Jafa have volunteered, as well as the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). We invite you to join the effort and to help with your labor and your presence in the rebuilding of the Al-Adassi home and in protest against the racist policy of the Israel Land Administration, the Amidar company, the Tel Aviv municipality, and the Ministry of Housing.
We will meet on Friday, at 14:30 in the park, corner of Yefet st. and Dr. Erlich st. in Jafa
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