THE INVITATION: Back to Bil'in - Mass Demo, This Friday, Oct. 27th This coming Friday, October 27th, a large demonstration will be held in Bil'in, for the first time in a long period. Please join us and come to support the people of Bil'in in their just struggle in this critical time. Together we shall call: No to the wall! No to separation No to land grab! Please sign up today to the demonstration: INVITING: The Israeli-Palestinian Coalition Against the Fence: The Popular Committees against the Wall and Settlements in the West Bank, The Poplar Committee-Bilin, Gush-Shalom, Ta'ayush, Women's Coalition for Peace, Yesh Gvul, New Profile, Yesh Din, Balad, ICAHD, Hadash, Maki, Banki, The Student Coalition -Tel Aviv University, Anarchists Against Walls.
THE DEMONSTRATION: At noon, we started... about 300 participants - Israelis (with part of us having to defy harassment of Israeli state forces on the way to Bil'in), Internationals, and Palestinians from the village and from out of it. We marched and chanted carrying few leaders, with Palestinian flags, and whistles and "drams".
When we arrived at the blocked gate to the route of the separation fence and the Bil'in lands West of it, the commander declared as usual that the area is a closed military zone.
While most of us challenged the state force verbally, few of us used the leaders to cross the ditch bordering the route of the separation fence and the barbed wire protecting the fence of the route, and put a ladder on the second line. The state forces expressed their objection to that act with sporadic shock grenade and from time to time even tear gas canisters - some of them were hurled back and prevented the soldiers from harsher measures.
After about half an hour of low level confrontation, the stone throwers decided that our nonviolent demonstration reached its end. Behind our backs which protected them from rubber coated bullets, they started to throw stones on the Israeli state force and the demonstrators who stood near them.
As usual, the state forces started to disperse the nonviolent demonstration with shock grenades and tear gas canisters. The village comity declared the demonstration as finished, and called the people to return to the village. The majority of us escaped from the gate to a not far away point on the road with some defying the state forces and staying behind.
The state forces continue to harass us even after the stone throwers fled and as the wind blew the tear gas towards us we had to return hastily to the village.
During the confrontation with the state forces few of demonstrators were injured (two of them more seriously) and two Israelis were detained and released about an hour after the end of the demonstration.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle in Bil'in overcome harasments of stae forces 23 Sep 2006
This Friday the demonstration against the separation fence and the occupation was a bit more lively. It seems it was because of the Wednesday "hafla" party at the outpost of Bil'in center for joint struggle for peace (built on the Bil'in lands the separation fence intend to rob). It was for celebrating Limor Goldstein out of hospital after the operation to extract the bullet shot to his brain about a month ago in the Friday demo in Bil'in. At noon, we started the usual march from the center of the village on the road leading to the route of the separation fence. We were about hundred people - Palestinians from the village and from the region, Israelis of the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative, and internationals. It was the usual chanting and singing till we reached the outskirts of the built area of the village. There, we encountered the Israeli state force of border police gendarmes blocking the road. This time, like the previous one they did not declare the demo illegal or the area closed military zone for the out of village participants. It seems the media scandal and our refusing to yield forced a change in policy. As they were 20 meter inside the village built zone, the verbal confrontation with them even resulted in their retreat these 20 meters to the exact point in the road.
After a non friendly confrontation there with chanting and exchange of words with them the 30 minutes of the demo previously decided on ended. As the stone throwers were already in positions on the two sides of the road leading to the center of the village, we took a detour path around the village buildings. When we cleared the blocked road we could hear the commander of state force order his gendarmes to advance towards the village to confront the potential stone throwers. Their advance was responded with a barrage of stones one of them broke the jaw of one of them.
While the confrontation of stones versus shock and tear gas grenades and shots of rubber coated bullets continued, we completed our detour, but as the road was not free to pass some of us were accepted the invitation to sit in the shade adjacent to a hose near the road. The state forces - in a measure never taken before during the year and a half Friday demonstrations, forced us to leave the shade and tried to push us to the road leading to the center of the village as a live shield to them in their confrontation with the stone throwers. Though they threatened with arrests, pushed us and threatened with arrests and hit with their batons, we refused to yield to their wish. We "escaped" between the courtyards of the neighborhood on the side of the road, (except only one member of the village comity who was arrested and released after an hour or so). With the help of the members of the village popular comity for the nonviolent struggle against the separation fence and occupation we found our way through courtyards and fences. They made special efforts to help us two oldies (me 69 and S. 77) to find the easiest way and pass the fences.
The younger participants infiltrated back to the outskirts of the village confronting the state forces who were forced to retreat from the village.
Then, while the confrontation between the stone throwers and the state forces continued we took the transportation back to Tel Aviv.
After a non friendly confrontation there with chanting and exchange of words with them the 30 minutes of the demo previously decided on ended. As the stone throwers were already in positions on the two sides of the road leading to the center of the village, we took a detour path around the village buildings. When we cleared the blocked road we could hear the commander of state force order his gendarmes to advance towards the village to confront the potential stone throwers. Their advance was responded with a barrage of stones one of them broke the jaw of one of them.
While the confrontation of stones versus shock and tear gas grenades and shots of rubber coated bullets continued, we completed our detour, but as the road was not free to pass some of us were accepted the invitation to sit in the shade adjacent to a hose near the road. The state forces - in a measure never taken before during the year and a half Friday demonstrations, forced us to leave the shade and tried to push us to the road leading to the center of the village as a live shield to them in their confrontation with the stone throwers. Though they threatened with arrests, pushed us and threatened with arrests and hit with their batons, we refused to yield to their wish. We "escaped" between the courtyards of the neighborhood on the side of the road, (except only one member of the village comity who was arrested and released after an hour or so). With the help of the members of the village popular comity for the nonviolent struggle against the separation fence and occupation we found our way through courtyards and fences. They made special efforts to help us two oldies (me 69 and S. 77) to find the easiest way and pass the fences.
The younger participants infiltrated back to the outskirts of the village confronting the state forces who were forced to retreat from the village.
Then, while the confrontation between the stone throwers and the state forces continued we took the transportation back to Tel Aviv.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, The provocative strategy of the Israeli state force was exposed in the Friday demonstration. 20 Oct 2006
This Friday demonstration we choose entirely new path towards the separation fence. At noon, Palestinians, Israelis of the anarchists against the wall initiative, and internationals started the march towards the separation fence. However, when we approached the last building of the village, we left the road leading to the route of the fence and marched among the olive trees towards a breach in the fence of the the route of the electronic separation fence. As the main force of the state force was among the olive trees within the village busy in the provoking of stone throwers, our march on a deviant path was not attended by them. Thus, we reached unhindered the breach in the fence, then we passed an open gate in the electronic fence, and just as we approached the gate to the other side of the route, the soldiers there intercepted us.
They just made a line and prevented us from passing to the other side of the route so we could go to the structure of the Bil'in center for joint struggle for peace. There we had the usual chanting and verbal confrontation, while we were sitting on the road between the fences.
We could hear far away - in the village, the confrontation between the state force and the stone throwers - explosion of shock and tear gas grenades and shooting of rubber rubbed bullets.
We pointed to the force commander the absurdity of the presence of his force at the far away village while the nonviolent demonstration is at the route of the fence. It was clear for all to see that the delegating of state force to the fringe of the village have nothing to do with the demonstration against the separation fence. It was clear they just do their most to provoke stone throwers so they will able to claim to the media that there was violence in Bil'in.
After a long while, we decided to go back to the village but the state force "punished" us and forced us to go back the same path we came instead of using the near by main road to the village.
While we were returning to the village we had to pass through the area where the state force was confronting the stone throwers, and one of us was injured by a rubber coated bullet.
They just made a line and prevented us from passing to the other side of the route so we could go to the structure of the Bil'in center for joint struggle for peace. There we had the usual chanting and verbal confrontation, while we were sitting on the road between the fences.
We could hear far away - in the village, the confrontation between the state force and the stone throwers - explosion of shock and tear gas grenades and shooting of rubber rubbed bullets.
We pointed to the force commander the absurdity of the presence of his force at the far away village while the nonviolent demonstration is at the route of the fence. It was clear for all to see that the delegating of state force to the fringe of the village have nothing to do with the demonstration against the separation fence. It was clear they just do their most to provoke stone throwers so they will able to claim to the media that there was violence in Bil'in.
After a long while, we decided to go back to the village but the state force "punished" us and forced us to go back the same path we came instead of using the near by main road to the village.
While we were returning to the village we had to pass through the area where the state force was confronting the stone throwers, and one of us was injured by a rubber coated bullet.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Palestin-Israel, Bil'in, The joint struggle against the occupation and the separation fence nearly back to normal 15 Sep 2006
This Friday demonstration was influenced very much by the exposing of the border police brutality in the Israeli media, and the return to the agenda of the failure of the application of the naked force by Israeli state. May be the 5 minute clip about the brutality suppression of the demonstrations in Bil'in in the second TV channel did the trick. Any way after a month of efforts to abolish the weekly demonstrations in Bil'in, this friday the Israeli forces did not declare it illegal and did not try to disperse us. As usual, we started at noon the march from the village center on the road leading to the route of the separation fence - Palestinians from Bil'in and from the region, internationals, Israelis from the anarchists against the wall and others. We marched chanting and some time even singing till we reached the last house of the village.
There, we encountered border police troupe who blocked the road and forbidden us from continue to the route of the fence. As we refused to yield without struggle, there started an attrition struggle of pushing mainly. We advanced few meters, and most of us were pushed back few meters - like in previous times, though they succeeded after a while to push most of us to the line of last house, few of us remained behind their line. Though some of them threatened us with their batons, during the pushing, they had strict order not to hit us too hard. Never the less they were not too gentle and few comrades were hurt and some even slightly injured.
This time, the agreement with the stone throwers was respected by them. They did not throw stones were we demonstrated - not before the demonstrated declared ended, and even later they did not throw it on the retreating demonstrators. To be on the safe side when we ended the demonstration we returned in a round about route so not to pass through the stone war zone.
In spite of the provocation of the border police who sent small groups to the orchards on the side of the road, they could not start the stone throwing too early.
When we were returning to the center of the village we could hear the confrontation of the border police and the stone throwers as the police shoot rubber coated bullets.
There, we encountered border police troupe who blocked the road and forbidden us from continue to the route of the fence. As we refused to yield without struggle, there started an attrition struggle of pushing mainly. We advanced few meters, and most of us were pushed back few meters - like in previous times, though they succeeded after a while to push most of us to the line of last house, few of us remained behind their line. Though some of them threatened us with their batons, during the pushing, they had strict order not to hit us too hard. Never the less they were not too gentle and few comrades were hurt and some even slightly injured.
This time, the agreement with the stone throwers was respected by them. They did not throw stones were we demonstrated - not before the demonstrated declared ended, and even later they did not throw it on the retreating demonstrators. To be on the safe side when we ended the demonstration we returned in a round about route so not to pass through the stone war zone.
In spite of the provocation of the border police who sent small groups to the orchards on the side of the road, they could not start the stone throwing too early.
When we were returning to the center of the village we could hear the confrontation of the border police and the stone throwers as the police shoot rubber coated bullets.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, The Friday demonstration in solidarity with Imad. 13 Oct 2006
This friday demo in Bil'in was in solidarity with Imad, the local video photographer who persisted in recording the Friday demos in Bil'in. He was arrested and beaten last Friday when documenting the Israeli state force atrocities in the village few hours after the regular nonviolent demonstration. The frustrated Israeli state forces who fail to subdue the stone throwers and invaded the village. In the absence of Israeli and media video camera men they regarded Imad as the only obstacle to the free expression of their fury. Their charges against him were so unreasonable that the military judge refuted them. His verdict to release him was contested by a higher level judge who agreed with the lower level one about the absurd accusations of Imad, but find in the recording by Imad some suspicious remarks - justifying the continuation of his arrest.
As usual, we started at noon our march from the center of the village on the road towards the route of the separation fence. Palestinians, internationals, and people mobilized by the Israeli anarchists against the wall initiative we marched with placards and flags - chanting all the way up to the blocked gate to the route of the separation fence. On the way we have seen the soldiers of the state forces among the olive trees on the border of the building area of the village - inviting the stone thrower youth for the usual confrontation.
In a way, they just served our purpose as the confrontation between them was thus far away from the non violent demonstration. Thus, we could do our thing without being injured by the stone throwers or the retaliation of the state forces.
When we arrived at the blocked gate, the commander recited as on the previous cases that the route of the fence is a closed military zone, and the usual low intensity confrontation - mainly verbal continued.
As usual, the state forces left one meter opening not blocked by the armored cars and the gate, inviting physical confrontation. One palestinian comrade invaded the route starting an effort to detain him. In response, 5 Israelis forced their way to the route to prevent his arrest. At the end of the confrontation a 16 years old Israeli girl was the only detainee while The Palestinian comrade was dearrested, and so were the other 4 Israelis.
After a while, the village comity declared the end of the demonstration and we returned to the village, passing near the stone throwers - hearing from time to time shots of rubber coated bullets and the explosions of tear gas grenades.
Some time after the end of the demonstration the detained Israeli comrade was released in the near by intersection on the Israeli side of the green line.
As usual, we started at noon our march from the center of the village on the road towards the route of the separation fence. Palestinians, internationals, and people mobilized by the Israeli anarchists against the wall initiative we marched with placards and flags - chanting all the way up to the blocked gate to the route of the separation fence. On the way we have seen the soldiers of the state forces among the olive trees on the border of the building area of the village - inviting the stone thrower youth for the usual confrontation.
In a way, they just served our purpose as the confrontation between them was thus far away from the non violent demonstration. Thus, we could do our thing without being injured by the stone throwers or the retaliation of the state forces.
When we arrived at the blocked gate, the commander recited as on the previous cases that the route of the fence is a closed military zone, and the usual low intensity confrontation - mainly verbal continued.
As usual, the state forces left one meter opening not blocked by the armored cars and the gate, inviting physical confrontation. One palestinian comrade invaded the route starting an effort to detain him. In response, 5 Israelis forced their way to the route to prevent his arrest. At the end of the confrontation a 16 years old Israeli girl was the only detainee while The Palestinian comrade was dearrested, and so were the other 4 Israelis.
After a while, the village comity declared the end of the demonstration and we returned to the village, passing near the stone throwers - hearing from time to time shots of rubber coated bullets and the explosions of tear gas grenades.
Some time after the end of the demonstration the detained Israeli comrade was released in the near by intersection on the Israeli side of the green line.
Friday, September 8, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, The disruption of the Friday demonstrations of joint struggle fail again 08 Sep 2006
This Friday too the Israeli state forces tried to disrupt the joint struggle against the separation fence and the occupation. As usual we started the march on the road leading towards the route of the separation fence at noon, from the center of village. When we arrived at the last building of the village, the Israeli border police soldiers demanded that we will disperse and immediately tried to disperse us. As their instructions did not allow them to shoot us, they tried the "milder" measures - few shock grenades that only make noise, pushing, and hitting people legs with clubs. However, they were very few and low motivated with inept commander. They started to force people on the road back, but most of us just stepped to the side of the road.... After a while they found that most of us stayed behind so they retreated and tried to push the stray ones back to the road.
After a lot of back and forth about 15 of the more experienced stayed behind while the state forces trying hard to heard the others to the village. And when they arrived at the first intersection of the village, the demonstrators just cut contact with them living the soldiers alone in the middle of the road, exposed to the stone throwers who hit them hard.
At that point, the nonviolent demonstration ended - living the arena for the usual war of attrition between the armed soldiers with their new riffles of bean-bag ammunition and the stone throwers.
This friday only one of us was seriously hit with a club on his arm.
After a lot of back and forth about 15 of the more experienced stayed behind while the state forces trying hard to heard the others to the village. And when they arrived at the first intersection of the village, the demonstrators just cut contact with them living the soldiers alone in the middle of the road, exposed to the stone throwers who hit them hard.
At that point, the nonviolent demonstration ended - living the arena for the usual war of attrition between the armed soldiers with their new riffles of bean-bag ammunition and the stone throwers.
This friday only one of us was seriously hit with a club on his arm.
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, The disruption of the Friday demonstrations of joint struggle fail again 08 Sep 2006
This Friday too the Israeli state forces tried to disrupt the joint struggle against the separation fence and the occupation. As usual we started the march on the road leading towards the route of the separation fence at noon, from the center of village. When we arrived at the last building of the village, the Israeli border police soldiers demanded that we will disperse and immediately tried to disperse us. As their instructions did not allow them to shoot us, they tried the "milder" measures - few shock grenades that only make noise, pushing, and hitting people legs with clubs. However, they were very few and low motivated with inept commander. They started to force people on the road back, but most of us just stepped to the side of the road.... After a while they found that most of us stayed behind so they retreated and tried to push the stray ones back to the road.
After a lot of back and forth about 15 of the more experienced stayed behind while the state forces trying hard to heard the others to the village. And when they arrived at the first intersection of the village, the demonstrators just cut contact with them living the soldiers alone in the middle of the road, exposed to the stone throwers who hit them hard.
At that point, the nonviolent demonstration ended - living the arena for the usual war of attrition between the armed soldiers with their new riffles of bean-bag ammunition and the stone throwers.
This friday only one of us was seriously hit with a club on his arm.
After a lot of back and forth about 15 of the more experienced stayed behind while the state forces trying hard to heard the others to the village. And when they arrived at the first intersection of the village, the demonstrators just cut contact with them living the soldiers alone in the middle of the road, exposed to the stone throwers who hit them hard.
At that point, the nonviolent demonstration ended - living the arena for the usual war of attrition between the armed soldiers with their new riffles of bean-bag ammunition and the stone throwers.
This friday only one of us was seriously hit with a club on his arm.
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