Wednesday, the Emperor Bush landed in Israel to continue his war mongering on the spot. Few dozens of leftists including the samba troupe of the Anarchists Against the Wall - confronted by state forces, converged on the lawn of the Independent garden in Jerusalem and in front of the Us consulate in Jerusalem, to tell him what they think about his triple talks.
On Friday were the usual 3 demonstrations against the separation fence: West of Ramalla Bil'in and apartheid highway 443, and south of Bethlehem Um Salmuna.
On Saturday, a new front on south of Bethlehem recently opened at Beit Umar (which is a frequent participant in the struggle against the separation fence).
In Bil'in, the whether was on our side. The 153th consecutive Friday demonstration marched from the center of the village under a deep blue sky and a bit warmer whether. When we approached the hill the gate in the separation fence is on, we encountered the same barbed wire spool blocking the road, the same declaration about the closed military zone, and the same threats about not crossing the line. However, the unexpected changes in the wind that tended to be from the East, the state force could not use it to block our way.
They tried few tear gas canisters but the wind drifted the gas towards the soldiers. They tried shock grenades, but we are so used to it that it only cause people to move a meter away from where a grenade fell. Thus, we slowly closed the gap and the state forces had to block us with their body. After a while, they retreated few meters and we decided to return to the village. Only when we were far from them they could punish us with tear gas canisters and later with bullets covered by rubber. Few were slightly hurt by shock grenades and tear gas. One member of the village popular comity was hit with a bullet to his head and was taken to hospital in Ramalla for treatment.
This is the link to the documentary video from Bil'in Palestine 11-01-2008 by Emad Burnat is on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=387BJWIwOXo
-----------------------------
At the near by apartheid highway 443 the lukewarm Friday demonstration continued. It was compromised again by the higher authority which overruled the grass root comity of the region. (It sabotaged the option of direct action on the previous Friday which was supposed to be a joint Israeli-Palestinian mass demonstration.)
-----------------------------
At the Bethlehem region Friday demonstration was at Um Salmuna. The people were able to reach the route of the separation fence. A kid with the Palestinian flag was photographed standing on a heavy construction machine that was waiting for repair.... Later, A temporary road block made of a spool of barbed wire appeared on the road from Israel to the region (used mostly by settlers).
---------------------------
On Saturday, we had a non standard demonstration at Beit Umar of the Bethlehem region. It was the second one - to be continued, protesting the last grab of lands by the near by colonialist settlement Karnei Shomron built on previously confiscated land of the village. Not long ago, the fence of the settlement moved in the direction of Beit Umar, grabbed more of its lands, Lately it could be seen from the village that settlers' caravans were put part of on the stolen land.
Early afternoon we marched from the village built area through the vineyards, towards the settlement. Israeli army soldiers blocked our way few score meters from the new fence of the settlement. By physical pressure we succeeded to advance a bit till we were near the army armed cars. When people tried to go nearer through a vineyard bordering the dirt road, the soldiers became more belligerent.
As the demonstration ended and we started to return to the village, youngsters started to through stones and the army retaliated with tear gas and shooting of bullets rubbed with rubber.
As our way back was blocked we made a detour through the land back to the village. The army followed the youngsters up to the built area of the village before retreating back to the colonialist settlement.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Palestine-Israel, My Weekly report on the AAtW involvement in the joint struggle 4-5/1/08
Tel Aviv - Critical mass, Jafa, Kfar Shalem; Bil'in; 443 apartheid highway; Um Salmuna... This week in Tel Aviv, we participated in the on going joint struggle of inhabitants of Jafa and Kfar Shalem against the Tel Aviv municipality gentrification and eviction. Video of critical mass against the occupation Tel Aviv 27-12-2007 (Thursday previous week) youtube.com/watch?v=90SFUXQPqEI by Israel Puterman; Video of Bil'in 28/12/2007 youtube.com/watch?v=0EM0wvkLBso by Emad bornat ---- On Sunday we participated in the joint demonstration of about 300 participants - Palestinians of Jafa, Israeli Jews from Kfar Shalem, and sympathizers in front of the apartment house the Tel Aviv mayor reside in. During the week AAtW were present in vigils at houses to be demolished in the two locations.
Bil'in:
By Eyad Bornat: Tuesday - Two Badly Injured as Bil’in Residents Attempt to Thwart Settler Land Grab --- On January 1st, Mohammed Khatib and Abdullah Abu Rahme of the Bil’in popular committee were badly beaten by settlers [of Modi'in Ilit town - I.S.] whilst attempting to stop the positioning of a settlement outpost on village land. They are currently receiving treatment in Sheik Zaid hospital, both are in a stable condition. Cameraman Emad Bornat was beaten also but escaped with footage of the attack after settlers destroyed his camera. Settlers arrived around 7pm attempting and placed a caravan on the ground, creating an outpost to the illegal settlement of Modi’in Illit. The aim of the outpost seems to be to stop the army moving the apartheid wall further East to give Bil’in some of its land back, as per the Supreme Court decision awarded in September. The settlers are calling the caravan a synagogue in an attempt to make it harder to remove by the Israeli military, a common practice in the West Bank.
The settlers were attempting to place a second caravan when Mohammed and Abdullah, together with Emad Bornat, quickly arrived on the scene and sat down under the caravan, preventing the settlers from securing the structure. Many other Bil’in residents arrived soon afterwards but were prevented from accessing the site by soldiers at the gate through the apartheid wall, which runs directly through Bil’ins land.
Armed settlers approached the group and were overheard saying “lets break his head†in Hebrew by an Israeli talking on the phone to Mohammed before the attack. The settlers then proceeded to attack the group, breaking Emad’s camera, who then left to protect the film inside. Over an hour after they were called, the police arrived and broke up the assault, but did not force the settlers to remove the structures, which were secured down after Mohammed and Abdullah were badly beaten. An Israeli activist arriving on the scene directly called for an Israeli ambulance, but the ambulance were not allowed to take them to an Israeli hospital, instead they had to wait at the Nahalin checkpoint for a Palestinian ambulance to arrive to finally take them to hospital.
According to official sources, two Palestinians and two settlers were arrested. In fact, no one was arrested, but the police offered to ‘look into doing so’ if the victims wish to press charges. Police also said the structures would be removed in the morning.
International Human Rights activists were in Bil’in soon after this happened and Israeli activists were present in the settlement afterwards as well. Settlers cut the tires to the car of one group of Israeli activists.
For more information: The Bilin Friends of freedom and Justice society
Email: majdarmajdar@yahoo.com http://www. Ffj-bilin.org ffj.bilin@yahoo.com
Video by Emad Bornats http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wmAOw1uCyk
The Friday demonstration - the 151 since 22d February 2005 was as usual the last few months. We marched from the center of the village towards the gate of the separation fence under a drifting sky. We had a short presence at the foot of the hill the gate is on it - as the Israeli state force forbid the approach towards the gate. After a while they showered us with tear gas, as the commander of the state force claimed we were not complying to his whims. A prolonged confrontation following this between stone throwers and the state forces.
This week no one was detained or seriously wounded. The heavy rain started at the end of the confrontation and made the riding home a challenge.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Friday demonstration at the 443 apartheid highway
First, an excerpt of the invitation for participation:
"Road 443 is one of the main throughways of the West Bank *. Its overall length is 25.5 KM, 14 out of which run through the heart of the West Bank, with two additional ones in the No-Man's Land. From the year 2000 on Israel started restricting Palestinian movement on the road, with the restrictions turning into complete prohibition of Palestinian movement in 2002, practically making the road into a Jewish-only one."
[The villages roads connected to the 443 highway were blocked by big concrete blocks and gravel mounds. When policemen and soldiers caught cars with Palestinian drivers they often confiscate the car keys and/or the driver licenses.
443 is one of the most prominent and upsetting apartheid roads in the West Bank. *Approximately 40,000 Israeli citizens travel on it on a daily basis*. The majority of them are not settlers but merely commuters traveling from Tel Aviv and Modi'in to Jerusalem on a better, shorter road, with less traffic. It is safe to assume that the vast majority of them are unaware to the fact that they are traveling through the Occupied Territories, and in a road Palestinians are allowed on. In many parts the road is surrounded by a wall, decorated by picturesque murals, blocking the Palestinian villages victimized by the road even from sight.
Road 443 is, needless to say, not the only apartheid road in the West Bank. *312 Kilometers of West Bank roads are nowadays forbidden for Palestinian use*. The system of apartheid roads (which also include an inferior, separate road system for Palestinian use) - together with the checkpoints and roadblocks, the wall, the siege and curfews, separate Palestinians from their lands, their workplaces, universities and each other - creating an intolerable reality lacking any real freedom of movement. The system of separation divides the West Bank into fragmented enclaves, practically destroying Palestinian economy, sovereignty and any option for a normal life.
Invitation is signed by:
The Palestinian Popular mobilization against apartheid; The national committees against the wall and settlements; The councils of the villages Beit Sira, Safa, Beit Likya, Kharbata AlMasbach, Beit Ur El Tachta and Beit Ur el Foka; The [Israeli] Coalition against the Wall & the Occupation: Gush Shalom, Coalition of
Women for just peace, Ta'ayush, Alternative Information Center, Yesh Gvul, ICAHD, Students Coalition - Tel-Aviv University, Anarchists against walls.
The Demo
About 150 Israelis started their way to the demonstration before noon from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other parts of the country - less than half succeeded to arrive to the site of the demonstration.
Israeli police succeeded to block the arrival of about half of Israelis in various road blocks.
At the meeting point in Tel Aviv, two cars of police and intelligence were present from the beginning of the convergence. They followed the bus most of the demonstrators were on, and at the Rantis road block in the occupied territories they blocked its way together with the grandams present there, without even bothering to showing any document authorizing them to do it. (The document was shown to other comrades when their car was blocked on another road block.)
The demonstrators got down from the bus and demonstrated near the road block. During this demonstration the traffic on the road continued, but the gendarmes pushed and hit demonstrators and even detained three of them for hours - releasing them after interrogation.
The joint demonstration of the Palestinian villagers and the Israeli participants did took place, and was subject to vicious violence of the Israeli state forces. The army attacked the protest with sound bombs, tear gas and rubber coated bullets and injured seven people - two were taken to the hospital.
----------------------------
At the Bethlehem region, 200 Palestinians, internationals and Israelis of the AAtW initiative, marched against the illegal wall being built on land stolen illegally by the Israeli army from the villagers of Um Salamunah, located near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem.
The protesters marched from the village towards the nearby settlers' road known as Road 60 that cuts the village of Um Salamunah off from its land. A year ago Israel started to build the separation fence on village land.
The protest marked the one year anniversary of nonviolent resistance to the separation fence in that village. Local villagers held Friday prayers on the settlers' road then speeches were delivered. Israeli troops arrived in the area but did not attack protesters. The action finished shortly thereafter.
Link to a media detailed article on the 443: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article3300992.ece
Bil'in:
By Eyad Bornat: Tuesday - Two Badly Injured as Bil’in Residents Attempt to Thwart Settler Land Grab --- On January 1st, Mohammed Khatib and Abdullah Abu Rahme of the Bil’in popular committee were badly beaten by settlers [of Modi'in Ilit town - I.S.] whilst attempting to stop the positioning of a settlement outpost on village land. They are currently receiving treatment in Sheik Zaid hospital, both are in a stable condition. Cameraman Emad Bornat was beaten also but escaped with footage of the attack after settlers destroyed his camera. Settlers arrived around 7pm attempting and placed a caravan on the ground, creating an outpost to the illegal settlement of Modi’in Illit. The aim of the outpost seems to be to stop the army moving the apartheid wall further East to give Bil’in some of its land back, as per the Supreme Court decision awarded in September. The settlers are calling the caravan a synagogue in an attempt to make it harder to remove by the Israeli military, a common practice in the West Bank.
The settlers were attempting to place a second caravan when Mohammed and Abdullah, together with Emad Bornat, quickly arrived on the scene and sat down under the caravan, preventing the settlers from securing the structure. Many other Bil’in residents arrived soon afterwards but were prevented from accessing the site by soldiers at the gate through the apartheid wall, which runs directly through Bil’ins land.
Armed settlers approached the group and were overheard saying “lets break his head†in Hebrew by an Israeli talking on the phone to Mohammed before the attack. The settlers then proceeded to attack the group, breaking Emad’s camera, who then left to protect the film inside. Over an hour after they were called, the police arrived and broke up the assault, but did not force the settlers to remove the structures, which were secured down after Mohammed and Abdullah were badly beaten. An Israeli activist arriving on the scene directly called for an Israeli ambulance, but the ambulance were not allowed to take them to an Israeli hospital, instead they had to wait at the Nahalin checkpoint for a Palestinian ambulance to arrive to finally take them to hospital.
According to official sources, two Palestinians and two settlers were arrested. In fact, no one was arrested, but the police offered to ‘look into doing so’ if the victims wish to press charges. Police also said the structures would be removed in the morning.
International Human Rights activists were in Bil’in soon after this happened and Israeli activists were present in the settlement afterwards as well. Settlers cut the tires to the car of one group of Israeli activists.
For more information: The Bilin Friends of freedom and Justice society
Email: majdarmajdar@yahoo.com http://www. Ffj-bilin.org ffj.bilin@yahoo.com
Video by Emad Bornats http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wmAOw1uCyk
The Friday demonstration - the 151 since 22d February 2005 was as usual the last few months. We marched from the center of the village towards the gate of the separation fence under a drifting sky. We had a short presence at the foot of the hill the gate is on it - as the Israeli state force forbid the approach towards the gate. After a while they showered us with tear gas, as the commander of the state force claimed we were not complying to his whims. A prolonged confrontation following this between stone throwers and the state forces.
This week no one was detained or seriously wounded. The heavy rain started at the end of the confrontation and made the riding home a challenge.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Friday demonstration at the 443 apartheid highway
First, an excerpt of the invitation for participation:
"Road 443 is one of the main throughways of the West Bank *. Its overall length is 25.5 KM, 14 out of which run through the heart of the West Bank, with two additional ones in the No-Man's Land. From the year 2000 on Israel started restricting Palestinian movement on the road, with the restrictions turning into complete prohibition of Palestinian movement in 2002, practically making the road into a Jewish-only one."
[The villages roads connected to the 443 highway were blocked by big concrete blocks and gravel mounds. When policemen and soldiers caught cars with Palestinian drivers they often confiscate the car keys and/or the driver licenses.
443 is one of the most prominent and upsetting apartheid roads in the West Bank. *Approximately 40,000 Israeli citizens travel on it on a daily basis*. The majority of them are not settlers but merely commuters traveling from Tel Aviv and Modi'in to Jerusalem on a better, shorter road, with less traffic. It is safe to assume that the vast majority of them are unaware to the fact that they are traveling through the Occupied Territories, and in a road Palestinians are allowed on. In many parts the road is surrounded by a wall, decorated by picturesque murals, blocking the Palestinian villages victimized by the road even from sight.
Road 443 is, needless to say, not the only apartheid road in the West Bank. *312 Kilometers of West Bank roads are nowadays forbidden for Palestinian use*. The system of apartheid roads (which also include an inferior, separate road system for Palestinian use) - together with the checkpoints and roadblocks, the wall, the siege and curfews, separate Palestinians from their lands, their workplaces, universities and each other - creating an intolerable reality lacking any real freedom of movement. The system of separation divides the West Bank into fragmented enclaves, practically destroying Palestinian economy, sovereignty and any option for a normal life.
Invitation is signed by:
The Palestinian Popular mobilization against apartheid; The national committees against the wall and settlements; The councils of the villages Beit Sira, Safa, Beit Likya, Kharbata AlMasbach, Beit Ur El Tachta and Beit Ur el Foka; The [Israeli] Coalition against the Wall & the Occupation: Gush Shalom, Coalition of
Women for just peace, Ta'ayush, Alternative Information Center, Yesh Gvul, ICAHD, Students Coalition - Tel-Aviv University, Anarchists against walls.
The Demo
About 150 Israelis started their way to the demonstration before noon from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other parts of the country - less than half succeeded to arrive to the site of the demonstration.
Israeli police succeeded to block the arrival of about half of Israelis in various road blocks.
At the meeting point in Tel Aviv, two cars of police and intelligence were present from the beginning of the convergence. They followed the bus most of the demonstrators were on, and at the Rantis road block in the occupied territories they blocked its way together with the grandams present there, without even bothering to showing any document authorizing them to do it. (The document was shown to other comrades when their car was blocked on another road block.)
The demonstrators got down from the bus and demonstrated near the road block. During this demonstration the traffic on the road continued, but the gendarmes pushed and hit demonstrators and even detained three of them for hours - releasing them after interrogation.
The joint demonstration of the Palestinian villagers and the Israeli participants did took place, and was subject to vicious violence of the Israeli state forces. The army attacked the protest with sound bombs, tear gas and rubber coated bullets and injured seven people - two were taken to the hospital.
----------------------------
At the Bethlehem region, 200 Palestinians, internationals and Israelis of the AAtW initiative, marched against the illegal wall being built on land stolen illegally by the Israeli army from the villagers of Um Salamunah, located near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem.
The protesters marched from the village towards the nearby settlers' road known as Road 60 that cuts the village of Um Salamunah off from its land. A year ago Israel started to build the separation fence on village land.
The protest marked the one year anniversary of nonviolent resistance to the separation fence in that village. Local villagers held Friday prayers on the settlers' road then speeches were delivered. Israeli troops arrived in the area but did not attack protesters. The action finished shortly thereafter.
Link to a media detailed article on the 443: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article3300992.ece
Friday, December 28, 2007
Palestine-Israel, AAtW activity in the joint struggle against separation fence + occupation Tel Aviv, Bil'in, 443 highway, Bethlehem. 28 Dec 2007
The weekend activity of the anarchists against the wall (AAtW) started with the monthly critical mass against occupation. We started a new tradition of such critical mass at the last Thursday of the month. (The activists of the usual "green" critical mass of bicycles driving, protested our use of the label in the critical mass we did at the "celebration" of 40 years to the occupation.
However, after they were rebuffed, they stopped complaining.) About 30 riders with the dram orchestra participation "toured" the main streets of Tel Aviv center. The police pressured the riders to let traffic go on one of the two lanes main street, but when the riders took narrower streets, the police just let them ride freely till they ended the "tour".
Friday our activists participated in three demonstrations only - Bilin, 443 apartheid high way, Bethlehem,.... as that of Um Salmuna was canceled.
In Bilin the Friday demonstration started at noon as usual - Palestinians, internationals and AAtW activists. For a bit of change the internationals who participated in it was a good size Italian delegation. At the confrontation site - in the foot of the hill the gate in the fence to the west side, the state force tolerated for a while the crossing of people to the other side of the line marking the forbidden zone for Friday demonstrations. After a while they showered us with canisters of tear gas. This time they were doing it in a new strategy, and succeeded to force us back to the built area of the village.
Friday noon there was also a demonstration at the 443 apartheid highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It cross through the lands of the villages Beit Sira, Saffa, Beit Liqiya, Kharbatha al-Misbah, Beit Ur al-Tahata, Beit Ur al-Foqqa and al-Tirra west to Ramallah. Approximately 40,000 Israeli citizens travel on it on a daily basis - but the villagers it was built on their lands are not allowed to use it.
The usual activists of the neighboring villages, with internationals and Israelis of the AAtW marched as usual from Kharbatha al-Misbah towards the near by highway. However, this time the choose a new route not tried before. They started to climb on the step margin of the highway. It took the Israeli state force in surprise, but quickly they reorganized and blocked the way of the demonstrators from approaching the fence that was already been built there on the two sides of the highway.
After a prolonged period, the people started to return to the village while the state force following them - waiting for the first stone thrown on them to start their usual show of power. And indeed, they entered the village with two armored cars, using tear gas. After the show of they left the village. At the exit, they encountered 10 activists of the AAtW sitting with two Palestinians, waiting for transportation. The state force cars stop there for a minute, and as a "present" they threw a tear gas grenade on the sitting comrades.
In the south, there was a demonstration in Bethlehem itself. Lot of local people and activists from the region, with internationals and AAtW Israelis marched towards a small fortress blocking the road toward Jerusalem. There was a sporadic stone throwing on the structure - with no response. After about 20 minutes the people returned to the city.
However, after they were rebuffed, they stopped complaining.) About 30 riders with the dram orchestra participation "toured" the main streets of Tel Aviv center. The police pressured the riders to let traffic go on one of the two lanes main street, but when the riders took narrower streets, the police just let them ride freely till they ended the "tour".
Friday our activists participated in three demonstrations only - Bilin, 443 apartheid high way, Bethlehem,.... as that of Um Salmuna was canceled.
In Bilin the Friday demonstration started at noon as usual - Palestinians, internationals and AAtW activists. For a bit of change the internationals who participated in it was a good size Italian delegation. At the confrontation site - in the foot of the hill the gate in the fence to the west side, the state force tolerated for a while the crossing of people to the other side of the line marking the forbidden zone for Friday demonstrations. After a while they showered us with canisters of tear gas. This time they were doing it in a new strategy, and succeeded to force us back to the built area of the village.
Friday noon there was also a demonstration at the 443 apartheid highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It cross through the lands of the villages Beit Sira, Saffa, Beit Liqiya, Kharbatha al-Misbah, Beit Ur al-Tahata, Beit Ur al-Foqqa and al-Tirra west to Ramallah. Approximately 40,000 Israeli citizens travel on it on a daily basis - but the villagers it was built on their lands are not allowed to use it.
The usual activists of the neighboring villages, with internationals and Israelis of the AAtW marched as usual from Kharbatha al-Misbah towards the near by highway. However, this time the choose a new route not tried before. They started to climb on the step margin of the highway. It took the Israeli state force in surprise, but quickly they reorganized and blocked the way of the demonstrators from approaching the fence that was already been built there on the two sides of the highway.
After a prolonged period, the people started to return to the village while the state force following them - waiting for the first stone thrown on them to start their usual show of power. And indeed, they entered the village with two armored cars, using tear gas. After the show of they left the village. At the exit, they encountered 10 activists of the AAtW sitting with two Palestinians, waiting for transportation. The state force cars stop there for a minute, and as a "present" they threw a tear gas grenade on the sitting comrades.
In the south, there was a demonstration in Bethlehem itself. Lot of local people and activists from the region, with internationals and AAtW Israelis marched towards a small fortress blocking the road toward Jerusalem. There was a sporadic stone throwing on the structure - with no response. After about 20 minutes the people returned to the city.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Palestine-Israel, AAtW weekly report and the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation continues. 23 Dec 2007
Palestine-Israel, AAtW weekly report and the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation continues.
This week The AAtW people were involved in the struggle against the wall in Ne'ilin, Bil'in, and Um Salmuna, and in Tel Aviv (struggle against forced eviction of inhabitants of Kfar Shalem - an Israeli neighborhood built on Palestinian village destroyed at 1948 Nacba).
In Bil'in, The Friday noon demonstration of Palestinians, Internationals, and Israeli anarchists against the wall initiative was nearly as usual, but, even before we reached the barbed wire spool blocking the road, people who dispersed to the olive trees on the two sides of the road, got a shower of tear gas from the Israeli state force who do not like it. However, as the wind was on our side, they state force found it self damaging, and changed to firing bullet coated with rubber and direct shooting of tear gas canisters to intimidate us. At one stage they even shoot two white haired 70+ oldies who were saved only by the trunks of olive trees they were behind.
Following is a post about the action from a Bil'in villager:
"Palestinians from the village of Bil'in, near Ramallah in the central West Bank, along with their international and Israeli supporters conducted their weekly protest against the Israeli Annexation Wall on Friday midday. Shortly after the midday Friday prayers, the protestors marched towards the location of the illegal wall built on the village's land. The Israeli army installed a barbed-wire roadblock to try and prevent the protesters reaching the construction site. As soon as the demonstration reached the roadblock troops showered the protesters with tear gas and metal rubber coated bullets injuring six people.
Among those injured was Iyad Bornat the head of the popular committee against the wall and settlements in Bil'in village. For more information:
The Bilin Friends of freedom and Justice - society
Email: majdarmajdar@yahoo.com
Tel: 972 547 847 942
http://www. Ffj-bilin.org
ffj.bilin@yahoo.com"
Bil'in 21-12-07 - link to video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxrAFV0EarE&feature=user
-------------------------------------------------------
-------South Bethlehem region - Um Salmuna ------
This week the Friday demonstration in the South Bethlehem region was again at the Um Salmuna village. However, this week, the Israeli occupation forces were more restrictive than ever before.
The people - about 40, Palestinians from the region's villages, few internationals, 10 activists of the Israeli anarchists against the wall initiative, and lot of media, were prevented from exiting the village. They were blocked from crossing or going along the regional high way using physical power of pushing.
The demonstration was carried out few meters from the main road while "Santa Claus" distributed Kandy.
One Palestinian activist was detained and released few hours later.
This week The AAtW people were involved in the struggle against the wall in Ne'ilin, Bil'in, and Um Salmuna, and in Tel Aviv (struggle against forced eviction of inhabitants of Kfar Shalem - an Israeli neighborhood built on Palestinian village destroyed at 1948 Nacba).
In Bil'in, The Friday noon demonstration of Palestinians, Internationals, and Israeli anarchists against the wall initiative was nearly as usual, but, even before we reached the barbed wire spool blocking the road, people who dispersed to the olive trees on the two sides of the road, got a shower of tear gas from the Israeli state force who do not like it. However, as the wind was on our side, they state force found it self damaging, and changed to firing bullet coated with rubber and direct shooting of tear gas canisters to intimidate us. At one stage they even shoot two white haired 70+ oldies who were saved only by the trunks of olive trees they were behind.
Following is a post about the action from a Bil'in villager:
"Palestinians from the village of Bil'in, near Ramallah in the central West Bank, along with their international and Israeli supporters conducted their weekly protest against the Israeli Annexation Wall on Friday midday. Shortly after the midday Friday prayers, the protestors marched towards the location of the illegal wall built on the village's land. The Israeli army installed a barbed-wire roadblock to try and prevent the protesters reaching the construction site. As soon as the demonstration reached the roadblock troops showered the protesters with tear gas and metal rubber coated bullets injuring six people.
Among those injured was Iyad Bornat the head of the popular committee against the wall and settlements in Bil'in village. For more information:
The Bilin Friends of freedom and Justice - society
Email: majdarmajdar@yahoo.com
Tel: 972 547 847 942
http://www. Ffj-bilin.org
ffj.bilin@yahoo.com"
Bil'in 21-12-07 - link to video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxrAFV0EarE&feature=user
-------------------------------------------------------
-------South Bethlehem region - Um Salmuna ------
This week the Friday demonstration in the South Bethlehem region was again at the Um Salmuna village. However, this week, the Israeli occupation forces were more restrictive than ever before.
The people - about 40, Palestinians from the region's villages, few internationals, 10 activists of the Israeli anarchists against the wall initiative, and lot of media, were prevented from exiting the village. They were blocked from crossing or going along the regional high way using physical power of pushing.
The demonstration was carried out few meters from the main road while "Santa Claus" distributed Kandy.
One Palestinian activist was detained and released few hours later.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Palestine-Israel, The Anarchists Against the Wall join the struggle in Bil'in, 443 apartheid highway, and south of Bethlehem 15 Dec 2007
The 148th Friday demonstration had no surprises. Just lower intensity confrontation since the new front of struggle at the 443 apartheid highway. The more refrigerant personnel of the Israeli regional state forces were shifting there. Thus, when we crossed the forbidden line near the gate of the separation fence, the state forces tried half heartedly to force us back. As in previous week we were allowed to advance about 30 meters, with minor use of sound and tear gas grenades and some pushing. Only when the demonstration was finished and the stone throwers started their action, a massive amount of tear gas was used.
link to video of Bil'in Friday 14-12-07 demonstration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2oZs-I-85k
-------------------------------
In the 443 apartheid demonstration too there were no surprises. Palestinian activists of the neighboring villages, internationals and activists of the Israeli activists of the AAtW initiative converged at Tahta. At noon the demonstration started with the march to the near by 443 Apartheid highway the access to it is forbidden to cars from the Palestinian villages it pass through their lands. When the marchers try to get to the road block they encountered Israeli state force guarding a gate on the road constructed after the Friday demonstrations started. After a while, with no reason what so ever, The state force attacked the people forcing them to retreat 10 meters. After a prolonged stand still, the demonstration ended. The youngsters start to throw stones. The state force showered tear gas. Later they invaded in a show of force the entrance to the village.
-------------------------------
South of Bethlehem - Um Salmuna
Palestinians of the region, internationals, and Israeli activists of the AAtW converged for a small demonstration near the regional highway at late Friday morning. A new commander of the Israeli regional occupying state force came to introduce himself and ask the people not to march on the road.... In spite his advice, the people marched on the highway towards the near by route of the separation fence. On the way, state force used mild pushing that failed to force the marchers out of the road.
When the demonstration arrived at the route of the separation fence some Palestinians gave a speech.
link to video of Bil'in Friday 14-12-07 demonstration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2oZs-I-85k
-------------------------------
In the 443 apartheid demonstration too there were no surprises. Palestinian activists of the neighboring villages, internationals and activists of the Israeli activists of the AAtW initiative converged at Tahta. At noon the demonstration started with the march to the near by 443 Apartheid highway the access to it is forbidden to cars from the Palestinian villages it pass through their lands. When the marchers try to get to the road block they encountered Israeli state force guarding a gate on the road constructed after the Friday demonstrations started. After a while, with no reason what so ever, The state force attacked the people forcing them to retreat 10 meters. After a prolonged stand still, the demonstration ended. The youngsters start to throw stones. The state force showered tear gas. Later they invaded in a show of force the entrance to the village.
-------------------------------
South of Bethlehem - Um Salmuna
Palestinians of the region, internationals, and Israeli activists of the AAtW converged for a small demonstration near the regional highway at late Friday morning. A new commander of the Israeli regional occupying state force came to introduce himself and ask the people not to march on the road.... In spite his advice, the people marched on the highway towards the near by route of the separation fence. On the way, state force used mild pushing that failed to force the marchers out of the road.
When the demonstration arrived at the route of the separation fence some Palestinians gave a speech.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Palestine-Israel, Update for the weekly report of the AAtW activity.... 09 Dec 2007
This Saturday activists of the Anarchists Against the Wall initiative were involved in two actions. The first in the morning at the E1 area, and the second in Tel-Aviv.
This morning, a group of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists put up an outpost in the E1 area which is designated to be an expansion of Ma'ale Edumim in a way that it will connect it to Jerusalem and cut the West Bank in two.
The police and the border police have arrived at the scene and start the repression activity.
All the activists involved were detained and the police have confiscated the keys of the truck that transported the material to the area. Later, all have been released. The conditions are that they keep out of the area for 15 days. The three Palestinians have already gotten summoned to trail on 11 Feb. The Israelis and internationals have not been summoned to trial yet.
This Saturday evening the "Israeli conference for business" was started at the David Intercontinental hotel. few scores of social activists demonstrated near the entrance against "the law of regularization" and the conference of the oppressors. (In Hebrew the two labels differ in one letter with the sound of 'S' or 'Sh'.)
The activists of the AAtW initiative were on their way in a critical mass of Bicycle riders against occupation and the businesses involved, from the city square to the place of the conference. After we passed half the way, the police tried to force us to stop blocking the traffic on the road. As we were not doing it in time, a unit of the special police force was summoned. They arrested brutally six of us - including a certificated media worker, and punctured few of the wheels of the bicycles.
After a while, we repaired the sabotaged wheels and split forces - half the participants continued to the business conference and the other half went to protest the arrest of our comrade at the police station they were taken to.
Later, the media worker was released while the other 5 were not released and will appear in front of the judge Sunday morning.
This morning, a group of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists put up an outpost in the E1 area which is designated to be an expansion of Ma'ale Edumim in a way that it will connect it to Jerusalem and cut the West Bank in two.
The police and the border police have arrived at the scene and start the repression activity.
All the activists involved were detained and the police have confiscated the keys of the truck that transported the material to the area. Later, all have been released. The conditions are that they keep out of the area for 15 days. The three Palestinians have already gotten summoned to trail on 11 Feb. The Israelis and internationals have not been summoned to trial yet.
This Saturday evening the "Israeli conference for business" was started at the David Intercontinental hotel. few scores of social activists demonstrated near the entrance against "the law of regularization" and the conference of the oppressors. (In Hebrew the two labels differ in one letter with the sound of 'S' or 'Sh'.)
The activists of the AAtW initiative were on their way in a critical mass of Bicycle riders against occupation and the businesses involved, from the city square to the place of the conference. After we passed half the way, the police tried to force us to stop blocking the traffic on the road. As we were not doing it in time, a unit of the special police force was summoned. They arrested brutally six of us - including a certificated media worker, and punctured few of the wheels of the bicycles.
After a while, we repaired the sabotaged wheels and split forces - half the participants continued to the business conference and the other half went to protest the arrest of our comrade at the police station they were taken to.
Later, the media worker was released while the other 5 were not released and will appear in front of the judge Sunday morning.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Subject: (en) Palestine-Israel, Tel Aviv, Um Salmuna, Bil'in, 443 apartheid road - AAtW weekly report 08 Dec 2007
After a meeting of the activists of the Anarchist Against the Wall initiative and the preparation of the materials, about 60 activists posted hundreds of big placards and thousands of small posts in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa. These were in the format of the general electricity company announcing planed power outage notices in a vicinity for maintenance... but this time with a different content in the name of "the front for liberation of Gaza".
This action was a response for the planed action of "retaliation" by the Israeli occupation state, against the population of the Gaza strip, for the continuation of firing of mortars and Kasams from the Gaza strip on the neighboring Israeli areas. Reports on the action were the next day in all the Israeli electronic media and in the late news bulletin of TV chanel 10.
Following are two of the texts:
Leftists announce mock power cuts to protest Gaza fuel slash - Haaretz.com
Residents of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were surprised Thursday morning to find on the doors to their homes mock notices announcing that the flow of electricity to the two cities would be cut off next week.
The 10,000 or so fake notices were posted across both cities by some 70 left-wing activists in response to the government's decision to reduce the supply of fuel to the Gaza Strip, and its plan to cut power flow in the near future.
The High Court of Justice on Sunday ordered the state to delay its reduction of power supplies to the Gaza Strip by at least one week, pending a full presentation detailing the proposed operation.
The justices upheld the state's plan to reduce fuel transfers to the Strip, as long as the humanitarian needs of Gaza's residents were given primary consideration.
The notices posted Thursday by the activists read: "We wish to inform you that there will be a wave of cessation and severance of electricity. We have no choice but to cut off power and we are forced to do it because in your cities reside the commanders of an army that harms civilians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip."
"For humanitarian reasons, the cessation of electricity will not be permanent and should leave you to consider: should the flow allotted be directed to hospitals, water systems, sewers or private homes. We apologize for the temporary inconvenience this might cause you and emphasize that this is a necessary defense move," read the notices.
According to the activists, the notices were hung to draw attention to the government's "arbitrary" decision to cut fuel and power from the civilian Palestinian population.
"There is no legitimacy for the collective punishment on civilians. We are talking about a move that even the army has admitted has no chance of stopping Qassam fire on Sderot."
"Through this activity we are interested in raising the awareness of Israeli citizens to the arbitrariness of these offensive moves and to try to create solidarity with the plight of civilians in Gaza," said the activists.
---------------------
Anarchists post 'power outage notices' - JPOST.COM Over 10,000 posters warning of a power outage were plastered over residential doors and public locations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa by left wing activists in protest of the government's decision to cut-back the power supply to the Gaza Strip.
The poster which plastered at over 10,000 locations in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?blobcol=urlimage&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobheadername1=Cache-Control&blobheadervalue1=max-age%3D420&blobkey=id&blobtable=JPImage&blobwhere=1196834825444&cachecontrol=5%3A0%3A0+*%2F*%2F*&ssbinary=true..]
Dozens of activists participated in the overnight operation which was organized by "The Front for the Liberation of Gaza", a coalition of anarchist organizations who oppose the government's decision to cut power supplies to Gaza.
According to the poster, the power outage is scheduled for next week. "The power outage is a step we must take since there are army headquarters in your city which are responsible for war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza," the poster read.
"For humanitarian reasons, the cuts will not be absolute, and we will allow you to use some power for hospitals, the water and sewage systems or residential homes," the poster read.
It is believed that the activists do not plan to perform any real power cut in Israel, but rather aim to raise public awareness of civilian life in Gaza.
Video of the action:
http://www.tv.social.org.il/medini/hafsakat-chasmal-5-12-07.htm
----------------------------------------
FRIDAY DEMONSTRATIONS
=====================
--------- Um Salmuna ---------
Report of an AAtW activist:
"Tens of Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals gathered today at the junction near Um-Salamune.
The demonstrators marched on the road leading to the Jewish settlement of Efrat, protesting against the Apartheid wall that is being built on the land of Palestinian villages.
While anti-occupation slogans were chanted, the march went on for some ten minutes, without blocking traffic.
Tens of Israeli soldiers, later joined by Israeli police and riot police, stopped the march just before reaching the entrance to Efrat, and very close to were the wall is being built. Soldiers announced the area a "closed military zone", and violently pushed demonstrators of the road.
Once the road was already cleared, and demonstrators surrounded on its side, the army declared it would stop all Palestinian traffic on the road as penalty - which it did. Army jeeps and soldiers stopped all Palestinian cars on the road for a fair half an hour, while Israeli cars drove by undisturbed.
For the next hour soldiers kept redefining the invisible parameters of the "closed zone", forcibly pushing demonstrators away. Several Palestinian photographers were arrested, but as far as we know were later released."
-------------------------
== Bil'in 147th Friday demonstration ==
The Friday demonstration marched at noon as usual from the village center towards the route of the separation fence used to robe more than half of the village lands for the building of the settler town Modi'in Ilit.
As usual, with flags, chanting and dancing, we arrived at the foot of the hill on the top of it located the gate to the West of the separation fence.
As usual, the commander of the state force declared the area up the hill a closed military zone. As usual, the more daring of us did not respected it. Slowly, slowly, we "infringed" on the closed military zone. As the main units of the Israeli state forces of the region (and the more belligerent units) where at the 443 apartheid high way demonstration, the resistance was very mild: sound grenades from time to time, pushing hard at times when people tried to advance... and often just low intensity resistance and half hearted blocking our advance.
The demonstration continued this way for nearly an hour till we decided to return to the village. The "casualties till that point was the detaining of two of the AAtW activists.
Just when we started to return to the village, the few youngsters who do not respect our nonviolence tactics and were restrained till that time by the members of the village comity, started to throw stones behind our backs, hitting one AAtW activist head, and provoking tear gas of the state force which hastened our return to the village.
The two detained comrades were released after a shorter time than usual, and we returned to Tel Aviv earlier than usual...
-------- The 443 apartheid highway demonstration -------
As usual the last few weeks, and as will probably continue for long, the Palestinian activists of the villages of the region, internationals of the ISM, Israelis of the AAtW, and media workers, converged in the Tahta village near the 443 highway. At noon, the demonstration started to march towards the high way, but was blocked by a new gate build to block the access to the entrance to the high way. (Which is already fenced from both sides nearly all the part of it which pass in the Palestinian occupied area. The roads of the villages leading to it are closed by big concrete blocks and gates.)
The demonstrators told the state forces what they think about them, and the state force detained for a while few of the Palestinian media workers documenting the action.
After a while the demonstrators returned to the village, and soon, after that the state forces "punished" the village by a violent patrol - with sound and tear gas grenades.
The url for a video of the route 443 demonstration of the previous Friday is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqvhanSkzP8
This action was a response for the planed action of "retaliation" by the Israeli occupation state, against the population of the Gaza strip, for the continuation of firing of mortars and Kasams from the Gaza strip on the neighboring Israeli areas. Reports on the action were the next day in all the Israeli electronic media and in the late news bulletin of TV chanel 10.
Following are two of the texts:
Leftists announce mock power cuts to protest Gaza fuel slash - Haaretz.com
Residents of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were surprised Thursday morning to find on the doors to their homes mock notices announcing that the flow of electricity to the two cities would be cut off next week.
The 10,000 or so fake notices were posted across both cities by some 70 left-wing activists in response to the government's decision to reduce the supply of fuel to the Gaza Strip, and its plan to cut power flow in the near future.
The High Court of Justice on Sunday ordered the state to delay its reduction of power supplies to the Gaza Strip by at least one week, pending a full presentation detailing the proposed operation.
The justices upheld the state's plan to reduce fuel transfers to the Strip, as long as the humanitarian needs of Gaza's residents were given primary consideration.
The notices posted Thursday by the activists read: "We wish to inform you that there will be a wave of cessation and severance of electricity. We have no choice but to cut off power and we are forced to do it because in your cities reside the commanders of an army that harms civilians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip."
"For humanitarian reasons, the cessation of electricity will not be permanent and should leave you to consider: should the flow allotted be directed to hospitals, water systems, sewers or private homes. We apologize for the temporary inconvenience this might cause you and emphasize that this is a necessary defense move," read the notices.
According to the activists, the notices were hung to draw attention to the government's "arbitrary" decision to cut fuel and power from the civilian Palestinian population.
"There is no legitimacy for the collective punishment on civilians. We are talking about a move that even the army has admitted has no chance of stopping Qassam fire on Sderot."
"Through this activity we are interested in raising the awareness of Israeli citizens to the arbitrariness of these offensive moves and to try to create solidarity with the plight of civilians in Gaza," said the activists.
---------------------
Anarchists post 'power outage notices' - JPOST.COM Over 10,000 posters warning of a power outage were plastered over residential doors and public locations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa by left wing activists in protest of the government's decision to cut-back the power supply to the Gaza Strip.
The poster which plastered at over 10,000 locations in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?blobcol=urlimage&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobheadername1=Cache-Control&blobheadervalue1=max-age%3D420&blobkey=id&blobtable=JPImage&blobwhere=1196834825444&cachecontrol=5%3A0%3A0+*%2F*%2F*&ssbinary=true..]
Dozens of activists participated in the overnight operation which was organized by "The Front for the Liberation of Gaza", a coalition of anarchist organizations who oppose the government's decision to cut power supplies to Gaza.
According to the poster, the power outage is scheduled for next week. "The power outage is a step we must take since there are army headquarters in your city which are responsible for war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza," the poster read.
"For humanitarian reasons, the cuts will not be absolute, and we will allow you to use some power for hospitals, the water and sewage systems or residential homes," the poster read.
It is believed that the activists do not plan to perform any real power cut in Israel, but rather aim to raise public awareness of civilian life in Gaza.
Video of the action:
http://www.tv.social.org.il/medini/hafsakat-chasmal-5-12-07.htm
----------------------------------------
FRIDAY DEMONSTRATIONS
=====================
--------- Um Salmuna ---------
Report of an AAtW activist:
"Tens of Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals gathered today at the junction near Um-Salamune.
The demonstrators marched on the road leading to the Jewish settlement of Efrat, protesting against the Apartheid wall that is being built on the land of Palestinian villages.
While anti-occupation slogans were chanted, the march went on for some ten minutes, without blocking traffic.
Tens of Israeli soldiers, later joined by Israeli police and riot police, stopped the march just before reaching the entrance to Efrat, and very close to were the wall is being built. Soldiers announced the area a "closed military zone", and violently pushed demonstrators of the road.
Once the road was already cleared, and demonstrators surrounded on its side, the army declared it would stop all Palestinian traffic on the road as penalty - which it did. Army jeeps and soldiers stopped all Palestinian cars on the road for a fair half an hour, while Israeli cars drove by undisturbed.
For the next hour soldiers kept redefining the invisible parameters of the "closed zone", forcibly pushing demonstrators away. Several Palestinian photographers were arrested, but as far as we know were later released."
-------------------------
== Bil'in 147th Friday demonstration ==
The Friday demonstration marched at noon as usual from the village center towards the route of the separation fence used to robe more than half of the village lands for the building of the settler town Modi'in Ilit.
As usual, with flags, chanting and dancing, we arrived at the foot of the hill on the top of it located the gate to the West of the separation fence.
As usual, the commander of the state force declared the area up the hill a closed military zone. As usual, the more daring of us did not respected it. Slowly, slowly, we "infringed" on the closed military zone. As the main units of the Israeli state forces of the region (and the more belligerent units) where at the 443 apartheid high way demonstration, the resistance was very mild: sound grenades from time to time, pushing hard at times when people tried to advance... and often just low intensity resistance and half hearted blocking our advance.
The demonstration continued this way for nearly an hour till we decided to return to the village. The "casualties till that point was the detaining of two of the AAtW activists.
Just when we started to return to the village, the few youngsters who do not respect our nonviolence tactics and were restrained till that time by the members of the village comity, started to throw stones behind our backs, hitting one AAtW activist head, and provoking tear gas of the state force which hastened our return to the village.
The two detained comrades were released after a shorter time than usual, and we returned to Tel Aviv earlier than usual...
-------- The 443 apartheid highway demonstration -------
As usual the last few weeks, and as will probably continue for long, the Palestinian activists of the villages of the region, internationals of the ISM, Israelis of the AAtW, and media workers, converged in the Tahta village near the 443 highway. At noon, the demonstration started to march towards the high way, but was blocked by a new gate build to block the access to the entrance to the high way. (Which is already fenced from both sides nearly all the part of it which pass in the Palestinian occupied area. The roads of the villages leading to it are closed by big concrete blocks and gates.)
The demonstrators told the state forces what they think about them, and the state force detained for a while few of the Palestinian media workers documenting the action.
After a while the demonstrators returned to the village, and soon, after that the state forces "punished" the village by a violent patrol - with sound and tear gas grenades.
The url for a video of the route 443 demonstration of the previous Friday is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqvhanSkzP8
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