Saturday, AAtW activist participated in an organization meeting in Biddu concerning the movement restrictions on farmers from getting to their land beyond the fence. During the week and this Saturday too our comrades participated in the extended Jerusalem struggle in Silwan mainly. On Friday we had a special recruitment for the demonstration against the separation fence to honor Tristan who is still fighting for his life in hospital. Ni'lin 20.3.9 - Solidarity with Tristan and Palestine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg0hCHqAeLA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmK5gmZRrv0 links to two video clips. This Fridy comrades also participated in the Um Salmuna (south of Bethlehem) and Bil'in. Bil'in 27-3-09 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssx8JWhEowc
BIL'IN
"The Israeli Army Stops the Bil’in’s Weekly Protest Celebrating the 33rd Anniversary of Land Day and they Injured four and Dozens Suffered Teargas Inhalation During the Protest."
"Participated in the march a group of the Palestinian National Initiative included cadre and their organs and supporters - led by the Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi"
"(The Friday Joint struggle in Bil'in against the separation fence - the 214th this week, became a symbol of the struggle against the occupation. Various Palestinian political parties join us with delegations from all over the west bank.)"
BIDDU
Years ago, Biddu and Beit Surik villages were in the focus of the struggle against the separation fence in which the AAtW and other Israeli activist joined them. The struggle gained a change of the route that diminished somewhat the loss of lands, and rights of passage to the lands on the other side of the separation fence.
During the following years there were few joint activities we were invited and participated in.
AAtW activist participated previous Saturday in a meeting in Biddu, concerning the movement restrictions on farmers from getting to their land beyond the fence, in Biddu and Beit Surik. We were asked to contact potential supporters from the neighbor Israeli places who aided in the past the struggle against the separation fence: Mevaseret and Har-Adar.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Palestine-Israel, In spite of the murderous suppression the joint struggle persist
The week began with the morning joint action of the AAtW with the villagers of Ras-Tira - neighbors of Wadi Rasha of the previous week. At the evening The Anarchists Against the Wall initiative with part of the radical left demonstrated in front of the war ministry compound in Tel Aviv the murderous attack on Tristan Anderson in Ni'ilin.
During the week AAtW activists joined the struggle against eviction of Palestinians in the expanded Jerusalem and in Jafa too.
Friday, we participated as usual in the demonstration against the separation fence in Bil'in (the 213th), Ni'ilin, Um Salmuna, and Jaayous. Saturday we were invited to a meeting in Bidu - one of the first to struggle against the separation fence, in relation to the restrictions of crossing to their lands on the other side of it.
TRISTAN ANDERSON
Ni'ilin 13.3.09 video of the demonstration at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TswsNohS__I
Tristan Anderson, an American citizen, was shot with an extended range tear gas canister at that a demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/v/G3NmAc2BwtI&hl=en&fs=1 He was hit in the forehead and remains in critical condition. Like him, several other demonstrators have been seriously injured by the new extended-range canisters. In addition, the army has returned to using the Ruger .22 rifle to shoot at demonstrators. The recent injuries are a direct and predictable result of that policy. The ordinary excuses about an unfortunate accident and an investigation in progress will satisfy only those who are willing to lie to themselves. It is time to protest the shooting of Tristan and demand that the army stop using these particularly lethal anti-demonstration weapons against demonstrators.
Demonstrate in front of the ministry of defense on Kaplan street in Tel Aviv 15-3-09 (Sunday) at 7 PM
THE DEMO
Solidarity Protest with Tristan in Tel Aviv 15/03/2009 http://awalls.org/solidarity_protest_with_tristan_in_tel_aviv
On Sunday evening, around seventy Israeli activists - as well as a few international ones - gathered in front of the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv to show their solidarity with Tristan Anderson, currently lying unconscious and in serious condition at Tel HaShomer Hospital near Tel Aviv, and to express their outrage at his injury and the events surrounding it.
Upon arrival, everyone was quickly – and rather aggressively – herded by police officers into a small fenced-off “protest area”, which was surrounded on all sides by numerous soldiers of the Border Police.
http://awalls.org/files/images/TristanDemoMurdererSign_0.jpg
The cardboard sign says "Murderer" in Hebrew, with an arrow pointing towards the closest Border Police soldier The cardboard sign says "Murderer" in Hebrew, with an arrow pointing towards the closest Border Police soldier
Protesters, representing several organizations, held up signs in both Hebrew and English condemning the army’s standard practice of firing teargas, rubber coated steel bullets and at times live ammunition into Palestinian demonstrations as a means of dispersing them, as well as the general brutality and inhumanity of Israel’s military occupation. Among the slogans chanted were “we shall neither kill nor be killed in the name of Zionism”, “Soldier, murderer – the Intifada will win!” and “Tristan, Tristan, don’t despair, we shall end the occupation”.
http://awalls.org/files/images/TristanDemoBanner.jpg
The banner reads "Murderers in Uniform"The banner reads "Murderers in Uniform"
During the demonstration, people addressed the Border Police soldiers present directly, some angrily pointing out to them that they are personally responsible for the atrocities their units commit in Palestinian areas (it was Border Police soldiers who fired the teargas canister that hit Tristan), while others tried explaining to them the reasons why Palestinians are demonstrating in the first place, and urged them to "turn around, go [into the Ministry of Defense] and arrest the real criminals!”. Furthermore, the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Tristan Anderson (and their wider context, i.e the Palestinian struggle against the wall) were described over a megaphone, making sure everyone understands what the demonstration is about.
After approximately an hour and a half, the demonstration ended without incident.
BIL'IN
Friday demonstration was as usual. As usual, when we were near the gate to the route the Israeli state force started to shower us with tear gas... but there was strong East wind that blew the tear gas towards the soldiers who were not wise enough to throw/shoot the tear gas canisters so it will reach us instead of them. So, they changed after a long pause to sound grenade that had no impression on us. When we over heard that they intend to change to shooting us in revenge for the tear gas the wind blew to them the village comity declared the demo finished.
As usual, kids did their stone throwing battle after the demo, while we visited a family.
About an hour later two soldiers who pursued kids into the near by village alley - shooting tear gas canisters, came near to us. We confronted them and they retreated to the intersection in the entrance to the village where the main force was - about a dozen soldiers and two armored cars. We confronted them too with other village activists till they stop shooting and retreated from the village.
RAS-TIRA - 15-3-09
http://awalls.org/uprooting_and_land_theaft_continues_in_wadi_arrasha_and_ras_attira
During the long demonstration and the uprooting of the olive trees, a group of village women and one of AAtW encircled a tree on the road of destruction and blocked the advance of the uprooting machine for few hours. More than thirty ancient olive trees were uprooted that day at Ras a Tira. Links to videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX8pJooJ66g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkq8SlwKdKw
Over thirty ancient olive trees were uprooted yesterday in the groves of Wadi arRasha and Ras atTira in the Qalqilya region, as part of the construction of a new path for the wall in the area. The uprooting was secured by an overwhelming presence of soldiers, police and riot police, who prevented the villages' women attempt to obstruct the destruction.
Currently, the two villages are separated from the rest of the West Bank by the wall, which was constructed to secure as much land as possible to the nearby settlement of Alfei Menashe. Following an Israeli Supreme Court decision, the path of the wall in the area is being rerouted so to exclude the villages from the Alfi Menashe enclave. The new route, though now leaving the villages east of the wall, is still planned with expansionist aspirations in mind, and may actually worsen the villagers' situation. Under the new path, though no longer separated from the rest of the West Bank, Wadi arRasha will be cut off from virtually all of its lands, with only a quarter of an acre out of about 200 left on their side of the wall. In addition, dozens of olive trees are expected to be felled to allow for the construction of the new path.
-------------------------------------------
Few links of interesting articles in the week end addition of the daily, about the 22 days of Cast Lead massacre in Gaza:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072475.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072510.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072511.html
A video censored by TV authority of the radical social community channel
http://www.practivism.co.il/video/stv/ihl/stv-laws-of-occupation-eng.wmv
During the week AAtW activists joined the struggle against eviction of Palestinians in the expanded Jerusalem and in Jafa too.
Friday, we participated as usual in the demonstration against the separation fence in Bil'in (the 213th), Ni'ilin, Um Salmuna, and Jaayous. Saturday we were invited to a meeting in Bidu - one of the first to struggle against the separation fence, in relation to the restrictions of crossing to their lands on the other side of it.
TRISTAN ANDERSON
Ni'ilin 13.3.09 video of the demonstration at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TswsNohS__I
Tristan Anderson, an American citizen, was shot with an extended range tear gas canister at that a demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/v/G3NmAc2BwtI&hl=en&fs=1 He was hit in the forehead and remains in critical condition. Like him, several other demonstrators have been seriously injured by the new extended-range canisters. In addition, the army has returned to using the Ruger .22 rifle to shoot at demonstrators. The recent injuries are a direct and predictable result of that policy. The ordinary excuses about an unfortunate accident and an investigation in progress will satisfy only those who are willing to lie to themselves. It is time to protest the shooting of Tristan and demand that the army stop using these particularly lethal anti-demonstration weapons against demonstrators.
Demonstrate in front of the ministry of defense on Kaplan street in Tel Aviv 15-3-09 (Sunday) at 7 PM
THE DEMO
Solidarity Protest with Tristan in Tel Aviv 15/03/2009 http://awalls.org/solidarity_protest_with_tristan_in_tel_aviv
On Sunday evening, around seventy Israeli activists - as well as a few international ones - gathered in front of the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv to show their solidarity with Tristan Anderson, currently lying unconscious and in serious condition at Tel HaShomer Hospital near Tel Aviv, and to express their outrage at his injury and the events surrounding it.
Upon arrival, everyone was quickly – and rather aggressively – herded by police officers into a small fenced-off “protest area”, which was surrounded on all sides by numerous soldiers of the Border Police.
http://awalls.org/files/images/TristanDemoMurdererSign_0.jpg
The cardboard sign says "Murderer" in Hebrew, with an arrow pointing towards the closest Border Police soldier The cardboard sign says "Murderer" in Hebrew, with an arrow pointing towards the closest Border Police soldier
Protesters, representing several organizations, held up signs in both Hebrew and English condemning the army’s standard practice of firing teargas, rubber coated steel bullets and at times live ammunition into Palestinian demonstrations as a means of dispersing them, as well as the general brutality and inhumanity of Israel’s military occupation. Among the slogans chanted were “we shall neither kill nor be killed in the name of Zionism”, “Soldier, murderer – the Intifada will win!” and “Tristan, Tristan, don’t despair, we shall end the occupation”.
http://awalls.org/files/images/TristanDemoBanner.jpg
The banner reads "Murderers in Uniform"The banner reads "Murderers in Uniform"
During the demonstration, people addressed the Border Police soldiers present directly, some angrily pointing out to them that they are personally responsible for the atrocities their units commit in Palestinian areas (it was Border Police soldiers who fired the teargas canister that hit Tristan), while others tried explaining to them the reasons why Palestinians are demonstrating in the first place, and urged them to "turn around, go [into the Ministry of Defense] and arrest the real criminals!”. Furthermore, the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Tristan Anderson (and their wider context, i.e the Palestinian struggle against the wall) were described over a megaphone, making sure everyone understands what the demonstration is about.
After approximately an hour and a half, the demonstration ended without incident.
BIL'IN
Friday demonstration was as usual. As usual, when we were near the gate to the route the Israeli state force started to shower us with tear gas... but there was strong East wind that blew the tear gas towards the soldiers who were not wise enough to throw/shoot the tear gas canisters so it will reach us instead of them. So, they changed after a long pause to sound grenade that had no impression on us. When we over heard that they intend to change to shooting us in revenge for the tear gas the wind blew to them the village comity declared the demo finished.
As usual, kids did their stone throwing battle after the demo, while we visited a family.
About an hour later two soldiers who pursued kids into the near by village alley - shooting tear gas canisters, came near to us. We confronted them and they retreated to the intersection in the entrance to the village where the main force was - about a dozen soldiers and two armored cars. We confronted them too with other village activists till they stop shooting and retreated from the village.
RAS-TIRA - 15-3-09
http://awalls.org/uprooting_and_land_theaft_continues_in_wadi_arrasha_and_ras_attira
During the long demonstration and the uprooting of the olive trees, a group of village women and one of AAtW encircled a tree on the road of destruction and blocked the advance of the uprooting machine for few hours. More than thirty ancient olive trees were uprooted that day at Ras a Tira. Links to videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX8pJooJ66g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkq8SlwKdKw
Over thirty ancient olive trees were uprooted yesterday in the groves of Wadi arRasha and Ras atTira in the Qalqilya region, as part of the construction of a new path for the wall in the area. The uprooting was secured by an overwhelming presence of soldiers, police and riot police, who prevented the villages' women attempt to obstruct the destruction.
Currently, the two villages are separated from the rest of the West Bank by the wall, which was constructed to secure as much land as possible to the nearby settlement of Alfei Menashe. Following an Israeli Supreme Court decision, the path of the wall in the area is being rerouted so to exclude the villages from the Alfi Menashe enclave. The new route, though now leaving the villages east of the wall, is still planned with expansionist aspirations in mind, and may actually worsen the villagers' situation. Under the new path, though no longer separated from the rest of the West Bank, Wadi arRasha will be cut off from virtually all of its lands, with only a quarter of an acre out of about 200 left on their side of the wall. In addition, dozens of olive trees are expected to be felled to allow for the construction of the new path.
-------------------------------------------
Few links of interesting articles in the week end addition of the daily, about the 22 days of Cast Lead massacre in Gaza:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072475.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072510.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072511.html
A video censored by TV authority of the radical social community channel
http://www.practivism.co.il/video/stv/ihl/stv-laws-of-occupation-eng.wmv
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Palestine-Israel, Zionist rulers change, but politics the same and the joint struggle continue
The joint struggle in Wadi Rasha resumed Sunday, After a long waiting on the slope of the mountain where the route of the separation fence in built, Israeli state forces came. They detained 5 of us http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMkgNIQVZuE - Internationals and Israelis. They were released on bail few hours later - barred from returning to the Shomron for the coming two weeks.
Friday we had the usual demonstrations in Bil'in, Ni'ilin, and Um Salmuna. In Bilin we had besides the locals, the internationals and the Anarchists Against the Wall we had also a contingent of women activists of the PFLP celebratin the women day.
In Ni'ilin media reported on 400 participants, and head injury of a US activist by a tear gas canister - in emergency brain operation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVOXK6brA5I
Latest news: Tristan Anderson from California USA, 37 years old, is on life support. His head injury was severe and the surgeons had to removed a part of his frontal lobe. It looks like he'll remain in a coma for as long as he survives.
NI'ILIN
"Tristan Anderson from California USA, 37 years old, has been taken to Israeli hospital Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv. Anderson is unconscious and has been bleeding heavily from the nose and mouth. He sustained a large hole in his forehead where he was struck by the canister. He is currently being operated on.
"Tristan was shot by the new tear-gas canisters that can be shot up to 500m. I ran over as I saw someone had been shot, while the Israeli forces continued to fire tear-gas at us. When an ambulance came, the Israeli soldiers refused to allow the ambulance through the checkpoint just outside the village. After 5 minutes of arguing with the soldiers, the ambulance passed."
Teah Lunqvist (Sweden) - International Solidarity Movement"
The Israeli army use the demonstrations against the separation fence as an experimental field for new crowd control weapons for the Israeli arms export industry. The new tear-gas canister is so far the most dangerous ammunition tried so far.
"Orly Levi, a spokeswoman at the Tel Hashomer hospital, tells Ha¹aretz:
He¹s in critical condition, anesthetized and on a ventilator and undergoing
imaging tests,² She described Anderson¹s condition as life-threatening."
WADI AL RASHA
Five arrested as uprooting and land theft continues in Wadi arRasha 08/03/2009
Destruction of trees and arrests of activists at Wadi arRasha. Video by Yisrael Puterman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMkgNIQVZuE
On Sunday, Israeli and international activists came to support residents of the small West Bank village of Wadi arRasha, in the Qalqilyah area, where construction work for the Wall is currently underway.
Early in the morning, as the bulldozers began their work preparing the route of the wall and workers were getting ready to start trimming down the olive trees in order to uproot them, around 15-20 Palestinians and activists were on site, trying in vain to negotiate once last time with Israeli officials and save the trees, land and livelihood of Wadi arRasha residents. As it became evident that the authorities were determined to go through with the uprooting and confiscation as planned, Palestinians decided to remain on a hill nearby and witness the destruction, so as to make sure that at the very least, some of the uprooted olive trees are handed over to their owners in order to be replanted elsewhere.
Worker trimming an olive tree prior to uprooting it http://awalls.org/files/images/Wad-arRasha-trimming-08-03-09.jpg
Shortly after - and without any incident or reason - six military jeeps accompanied by a police officer arrived at the scene, and declared the area a closed military zone, giving everyone a few minutes to disperse. When people, peacefully seated on the ground and merely observing the destruction of the bulldozers, refused to leave, five individuals were arrested - two Israelis and three internationals – some quite forcefully. Furthermore, as the uprooting of the trees continued unabated, one Palestinian man briefly fainted at the sight of his trees being destroyed. All arrestees were released a few hours later on the condition that they do not return to the Samaria area for two weeks.
Soldiers taking away the arrestees
http://awalls.org/files/images/Wad-arRasha-arrestees-08-03-09.jpg
The small village near which located the colonial settlement Alfey Menashe - built on its stolen lands, is about to loose 90% of its remaining fields. The villagers invited the Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall for another demonstration on the coming Sunday (15-3-09).
Friday we had the usual demonstrations in Bil'in, Ni'ilin, and Um Salmuna. In Bilin we had besides the locals, the internationals and the Anarchists Against the Wall we had also a contingent of women activists of the PFLP celebratin the women day.
In Ni'ilin media reported on 400 participants, and head injury of a US activist by a tear gas canister - in emergency brain operation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVOXK6brA5I
Latest news: Tristan Anderson from California USA, 37 years old, is on life support. His head injury was severe and the surgeons had to removed a part of his frontal lobe. It looks like he'll remain in a coma for as long as he survives.
NI'ILIN
"Tristan Anderson from California USA, 37 years old, has been taken to Israeli hospital Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv. Anderson is unconscious and has been bleeding heavily from the nose and mouth. He sustained a large hole in his forehead where he was struck by the canister. He is currently being operated on.
"Tristan was shot by the new tear-gas canisters that can be shot up to 500m. I ran over as I saw someone had been shot, while the Israeli forces continued to fire tear-gas at us. When an ambulance came, the Israeli soldiers refused to allow the ambulance through the checkpoint just outside the village. After 5 minutes of arguing with the soldiers, the ambulance passed."
Teah Lunqvist (Sweden) - International Solidarity Movement"
The Israeli army use the demonstrations against the separation fence as an experimental field for new crowd control weapons for the Israeli arms export industry. The new tear-gas canister is so far the most dangerous ammunition tried so far.
"Orly Levi, a spokeswoman at the Tel Hashomer hospital, tells Ha¹aretz:
He¹s in critical condition, anesthetized and on a ventilator and undergoing
imaging tests,² She described Anderson¹s condition as life-threatening."
WADI AL RASHA
Five arrested as uprooting and land theft continues in Wadi arRasha 08/03/2009
Destruction of trees and arrests of activists at Wadi arRasha. Video by Yisrael Puterman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMkgNIQVZuE
On Sunday, Israeli and international activists came to support residents of the small West Bank village of Wadi arRasha, in the Qalqilyah area, where construction work for the Wall is currently underway.
Early in the morning, as the bulldozers began their work preparing the route of the wall and workers were getting ready to start trimming down the olive trees in order to uproot them, around 15-20 Palestinians and activists were on site, trying in vain to negotiate once last time with Israeli officials and save the trees, land and livelihood of Wadi arRasha residents. As it became evident that the authorities were determined to go through with the uprooting and confiscation as planned, Palestinians decided to remain on a hill nearby and witness the destruction, so as to make sure that at the very least, some of the uprooted olive trees are handed over to their owners in order to be replanted elsewhere.
Worker trimming an olive tree prior to uprooting it http://awalls.org/files/images/Wad-arRasha-trimming-08-03-09.jpg
Shortly after - and without any incident or reason - six military jeeps accompanied by a police officer arrived at the scene, and declared the area a closed military zone, giving everyone a few minutes to disperse. When people, peacefully seated on the ground and merely observing the destruction of the bulldozers, refused to leave, five individuals were arrested - two Israelis and three internationals – some quite forcefully. Furthermore, as the uprooting of the trees continued unabated, one Palestinian man briefly fainted at the sight of his trees being destroyed. All arrestees were released a few hours later on the condition that they do not return to the Samaria area for two weeks.
Soldiers taking away the arrestees
http://awalls.org/files/images/Wad-arRasha-arrestees-08-03-09.jpg
The small village near which located the colonial settlement Alfey Menashe - built on its stolen lands, is about to loose 90% of its remaining fields. The villagers invited the Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall for another demonstration on the coming Sunday (15-3-09).
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Palestine-Israel, the joint struggle continue in spite escalation of repression
This week there was an escalation in the harassing of Palestinian houses. Mainly in Isawia (extended Jerusalem) but also in Jafa (extended Tel Aviv). A new village joined the struggle against the separation fence - Wadi Rasha, and Bait Jaala resumed the struggle. Friday we were at the usual Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Um Salmuna demonstrations against the separation fence. Bil'in, 6-3-09, link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d08CxaiYIRE
Wadi Rasha (Ras Tira) Invited AAtW delegates for a meeting and following it - on Wednesday, the first action was taken. In Um Salmuna the demonstration this Friday was much bigger than the usual ones as significant contingent of the democratic front (mostly women) joined us.
BIL'IN
Quoted from report of Iyad Burnat- Head of Popular Committee in Bil'in:
"Three injured and dozens suffered teargas inhalation during the Bil'in Weekly Demonstration. Friday March, 6th 2009- The residents of Bil’in gathered today after the Friday prayer in another protest called by the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlement Building. The protest was joined by international activists and the Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall and Settlements. Protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners condemning the Israeli policies of building the wall and settlements, especially the recent plan to build 75 new housing units. Protesters also condemned the recent house demolitions in Al-Bustan and Ras Khamis in Jerusalem."
WADI RASS
"Lately, the works on the separation fence started on the lands of the village Wadi Ras. The planed route will leave 70% of the olive trees of the village on the other (forbidden side). Many trees are the last few days as part of the works on the route. Today (Wednesday) morning village people and Israeli (AAtW) activists succeeded to stop the bulldozers work for an hour.
Friday we will join them again to block the bulldozers and the destruction".
Another report on the Wednesday action: "At 8:00 this morning, a crowd of 20 Palestinians together with 15 Israeli and International activists gathered in a village called Ras atTira, in the Qalqilya district, to protest against the destruction and annexation of Palestinian land. At the site of the protest, there were three bulldozers destroying the farm land. Some of the Palestinians and activists peacefully protested against this theft of land by sitting in front of the bulldozers attempting to stop the destruction. http://awalls.org/files/images/Wadi-arRasha_0.jpg The protectors were harassed by two armed settlers who grabbed the protectors and threw them around. One of the settlers grabbed camera-related equipment from an Israeli activist and threw that down the hill."
Police ignored the complaints lodged by Israeli activists regarding the security guards who attacked them, and instead detained one of the Israeli activists, who was released shortly after. Through negotiations between the Palestinian landowners and Israeli army and police, an agreement was reached whereupon the older olive trees are to be returned to their owners once uprooted.
The destruction in the area of Wadi arRasha, which began one week ago, will affect five small villages in the immediate area, on their approximately 1,500 inhabitants.
And another on Friday:
"We have had another bit of success today in Wadi Rasha. There was no work today and it appears that the reason was the planned demonstration. In the end there were no guards or soldiers anywhere near the rout of the wall and we spent the time hearing about the confusing rout of the wall in that area.....
The army plans to uproot trees on Sunday and we were asked to come support the farmers who will resist this. Please let me know if you can make it."
UM SALMUNA
"The demonstration this Friday was much bigger than the usual ones as significant contingent of the democratic front (mostly women) joined us. At the beginning we were about 200 people and no army present. It seems the changes in the time of the demonstration last Fridays confused them. We started with a bold march towards the route of the separation fence on the village lands. After few failed trying of soldiers to stop us, a bigger unit arrived and succeeded to block our way so we stopped on the road. The soldiers tried to detain few young people but we succeeded to prevent it, and enabled the ones in danger to retreat to the village.
At one stage the state force stretched a barbed wire spool as a kind of fence.... but, the women of the village and the contingent of the front started to dismantle it. As the state force objected to it and harassed them we responded by sitting down for an additional quarter of an hour for speeches to be carried, before returning to the village.
Wadi Rasha (Ras Tira) Invited AAtW delegates for a meeting and following it - on Wednesday, the first action was taken. In Um Salmuna the demonstration this Friday was much bigger than the usual ones as significant contingent of the democratic front (mostly women) joined us.
BIL'IN
Quoted from report of Iyad Burnat- Head of Popular Committee in Bil'in:
"Three injured and dozens suffered teargas inhalation during the Bil'in Weekly Demonstration. Friday March, 6th 2009- The residents of Bil’in gathered today after the Friday prayer in another protest called by the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlement Building. The protest was joined by international activists and the Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall and Settlements. Protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners condemning the Israeli policies of building the wall and settlements, especially the recent plan to build 75 new housing units. Protesters also condemned the recent house demolitions in Al-Bustan and Ras Khamis in Jerusalem."
WADI RASS
"Lately, the works on the separation fence started on the lands of the village Wadi Ras. The planed route will leave 70% of the olive trees of the village on the other (forbidden side). Many trees are the last few days as part of the works on the route. Today (Wednesday) morning village people and Israeli (AAtW) activists succeeded to stop the bulldozers work for an hour.
Friday we will join them again to block the bulldozers and the destruction".
Another report on the Wednesday action: "At 8:00 this morning, a crowd of 20 Palestinians together with 15 Israeli and International activists gathered in a village called Ras atTira, in the Qalqilya district, to protest against the destruction and annexation of Palestinian land. At the site of the protest, there were three bulldozers destroying the farm land. Some of the Palestinians and activists peacefully protested against this theft of land by sitting in front of the bulldozers attempting to stop the destruction. http://awalls.org/files/images/Wadi-arRasha_0.jpg The protectors were harassed by two armed settlers who grabbed the protectors and threw them around. One of the settlers grabbed camera-related equipment from an Israeli activist and threw that down the hill."
Police ignored the complaints lodged by Israeli activists regarding the security guards who attacked them, and instead detained one of the Israeli activists, who was released shortly after. Through negotiations between the Palestinian landowners and Israeli army and police, an agreement was reached whereupon the older olive trees are to be returned to their owners once uprooted.
The destruction in the area of Wadi arRasha, which began one week ago, will affect five small villages in the immediate area, on their approximately 1,500 inhabitants.
And another on Friday:
"We have had another bit of success today in Wadi Rasha. There was no work today and it appears that the reason was the planned demonstration. In the end there were no guards or soldiers anywhere near the rout of the wall and we spent the time hearing about the confusing rout of the wall in that area.....
The army plans to uproot trees on Sunday and we were asked to come support the farmers who will resist this. Please let me know if you can make it."
UM SALMUNA
"The demonstration this Friday was much bigger than the usual ones as significant contingent of the democratic front (mostly women) joined us. At the beginning we were about 200 people and no army present. It seems the changes in the time of the demonstration last Fridays confused them. We started with a bold march towards the route of the separation fence on the village lands. After few failed trying of soldiers to stop us, a bigger unit arrived and succeeded to block our way so we stopped on the road. The soldiers tried to detain few young people but we succeeded to prevent it, and enabled the ones in danger to retreat to the village.
At one stage the state force stretched a barbed wire spool as a kind of fence.... but, the women of the village and the contingent of the front started to dismantle it. As the state force objected to it and harassed them we responded by sitting down for an additional quarter of an hour for speeches to be carried, before returning to the village.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Palestine-Israel, Raining weekend did not deter the AAtW people from participating in the joint struggle.
The rain did not cancel the Friday demonstration against the separation fence and occupation at Bil'in, Jayyous, and Ni'ilin. Few joined the demonstration in Silwan, at the enlarged Jerusalem area, against transfer of Palestinian families. In Bil'in, the theme of the demonstration was: "solidarity with Silwan Residents and support for national unity". The usual "reception" at the gate to the route of the separation fence was a shower of tear gas grenades. Due to the strong winds and persistance - including throwing back of tear gas grenades, the unit of state force changed their mind and "alowed" us to reach the electronic fence and stay there till the end of the demonstration was declared. Video clips available: Ja'ayus 27-2-09 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBMIiwLwBcQ
FROM AAtW web page:
Demonstrations Continue in Jayyous, Bil’in and Ni’ilin 27/02/2009
http://awalls.org/demonstrations_continue_in_jayyous_bil_in_and_ni_ilin
In the West Bank villages of Jayyous, Bil’in and Ni’ilin, Palestinians were joined this Friday by Israeli and international activists in their ongoing weekly demonstrations against Israel's wall. Despite a harsh weather of hard rains and strong winds which continued for most of the day, residents of these three villages took part in protest marches and attempted to reach the wall being built on - and separating them from – their own lands.
Demonstration against the wall in Jayyous. Video by Yisrael Puterman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBMIiwLwBcQ
In Jayyous - where up to 68 acres of land will be razed for the new path of the wall and a further 1,380 acres will be permanently confiscated – a few dozen demonstrators braved the rain, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans against the wall. However, as the protest march reached the end of the village and continued on the road towards the wall, soldiers began firing teargas canisters and throwing concussion grenades, driving people back into the village and causing local youth to throw a handful of stones in retaliation. Army jeeps then entered the village itself, and soldiers went into houses, searching, harassing and intimidating people. Shortly after, the army imposed a curfew on the entire village, as a form of collective punishment designed to scare its residents into stopping their demonstrations.
It should also be noted that for the last several weeks, Jayyous has been the site of intense repression, including several military occupations of the village and the use of live ammunition against protesters (just 9 days earlier, over twenty jeeps entered the village and soldiers raided and occupied Palestinian homes, throwing concussion grenades into houses before forcing their way in at gunpoint. Sixty five residents, including organizers of the weekly demonstrations, were rounded up and interrogated, with seventeen of them arrested later on).
In Ni’ilin, residents gathered after the Friday prayers and attempted to march from the village’s main road in the direction of the wall. The path eastward was blocked by an army jeep, and the muddy terrain would have made fast movement considerably harder for people, so demonstrators proceeded to walked back to the center of the village and up to the clinic, where they began marching on an asphalt road towards the site where the wall is currently being built. However, a large army presence was waiting behind the olive trees further down the road, and soldiers attacked the march with teargas canisters and concussion grenades even before it passed the last houses of the village.
As troops began advancing towards the village, local youth built barricades and tried to hold them back with slingshots and firecrackers. Soldiers eventually positioned themselves on the outskirts of Ni’ilin and fired large amounts of teargas into the streets and alleyways, to which locals continued responding with stones. The clashes lasted for a couple of hours, after which troops retreated and left the area. A few people were lightly injured from teargas canisters hits and tear gas inhalation.
Demonstrator kicking tear gas canister, Bil'in. Photo by Haytham Al Khateeb
http://awalls.org/files/images/Bilin-27-02-09.jpg
In Bil’in, demonstrators gathered at noon and marched after prayers towards the route of the wall. Protesters carried a huge banner depicting the flags of all different Palestinian political factions, as a symbol of unity, as well as banners condemning Israel’s racism and violence against civilians – this week focusing on Silwan, East Jerusalem, where the army has recently issued demolition orders in the Bustan neighborhood.
In spite of the rain and the tear gas canisters fired by Israeli troops stationed on the other side of the wall, some demonstrators managed to go trough the gate into the area between the two separation fences and stayed inside for nearly 20 minutes, calling for peace and voicing their objection to the theft of their lands by Israel. Several were injured from tear gas inhalation.
FROM AAtW web page:
Demonstrations Continue in Jayyous, Bil’in and Ni’ilin 27/02/2009
http://awalls.org/demonstrations_continue_in_jayyous_bil_in_and_ni_ilin
In the West Bank villages of Jayyous, Bil’in and Ni’ilin, Palestinians were joined this Friday by Israeli and international activists in their ongoing weekly demonstrations against Israel's wall. Despite a harsh weather of hard rains and strong winds which continued for most of the day, residents of these three villages took part in protest marches and attempted to reach the wall being built on - and separating them from – their own lands.
Demonstration against the wall in Jayyous. Video by Yisrael Puterman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBMIiwLwBcQ
In Jayyous - where up to 68 acres of land will be razed for the new path of the wall and a further 1,380 acres will be permanently confiscated – a few dozen demonstrators braved the rain, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans against the wall. However, as the protest march reached the end of the village and continued on the road towards the wall, soldiers began firing teargas canisters and throwing concussion grenades, driving people back into the village and causing local youth to throw a handful of stones in retaliation. Army jeeps then entered the village itself, and soldiers went into houses, searching, harassing and intimidating people. Shortly after, the army imposed a curfew on the entire village, as a form of collective punishment designed to scare its residents into stopping their demonstrations.
It should also be noted that for the last several weeks, Jayyous has been the site of intense repression, including several military occupations of the village and the use of live ammunition against protesters (just 9 days earlier, over twenty jeeps entered the village and soldiers raided and occupied Palestinian homes, throwing concussion grenades into houses before forcing their way in at gunpoint. Sixty five residents, including organizers of the weekly demonstrations, were rounded up and interrogated, with seventeen of them arrested later on).
In Ni’ilin, residents gathered after the Friday prayers and attempted to march from the village’s main road in the direction of the wall. The path eastward was blocked by an army jeep, and the muddy terrain would have made fast movement considerably harder for people, so demonstrators proceeded to walked back to the center of the village and up to the clinic, where they began marching on an asphalt road towards the site where the wall is currently being built. However, a large army presence was waiting behind the olive trees further down the road, and soldiers attacked the march with teargas canisters and concussion grenades even before it passed the last houses of the village.
As troops began advancing towards the village, local youth built barricades and tried to hold them back with slingshots and firecrackers. Soldiers eventually positioned themselves on the outskirts of Ni’ilin and fired large amounts of teargas into the streets and alleyways, to which locals continued responding with stones. The clashes lasted for a couple of hours, after which troops retreated and left the area. A few people were lightly injured from teargas canisters hits and tear gas inhalation.
Demonstrator kicking tear gas canister, Bil'in. Photo by Haytham Al Khateeb
http://awalls.org/files/images/Bilin-27-02-09.jpg
In Bil’in, demonstrators gathered at noon and marched after prayers towards the route of the wall. Protesters carried a huge banner depicting the flags of all different Palestinian political factions, as a symbol of unity, as well as banners condemning Israel’s racism and violence against civilians – this week focusing on Silwan, East Jerusalem, where the army has recently issued demolition orders in the Bustan neighborhood.
In spite of the rain and the tear gas canisters fired by Israeli troops stationed on the other side of the wall, some demonstrators managed to go trough the gate into the area between the two separation fences and stayed inside for nearly 20 minutes, calling for peace and voicing their objection to the theft of their lands by Israel. Several were injured from tear gas inhalation.
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