On Monday 20th November 2006 at the Istituto Tecnico-Commerciale Battisti in Fano, eastern Italy, with Lior Volinytz, a 19-year-old Israeli refusnik and activist in the Anarchists Against the Wall initiative. Attendance was quite good, with around 60 people present, mostly young secondary school students. Lior spoke about how he became an anti-militarist, about his decision to refuse military service and finally about his decision to join the Anarchists Against he Wall initiative, an Israeli movement that supports the non-violent struggle of Palestinian villagers against the Wall, in particular in Bil'in where fore the past 20 months, every Friday the village's Popular Committee organizes a non-violent demonstration against the Wall with the cooperation of international activists, Israelis from Anarchists Against the Wall and others.
There was strong reaction from the slides that Lior showed and the videos of the demonstrations against Israel's militarist policies in Tel Aviv and against the Separation Wall at Bil'in in Palestine, where the IDF does not hesitate to use violent methods against non-violent demonstrators. Answering questions from the audience, Lior clearly illustrated the strategy of the Wall to isolate the Palestinians and to steal their land far beyond the 1967 Green Line, all with the vital support they receive from the colonist lobby, mostly fascists and religious fundamentalists, many of whom are sent into Palestinian territory from the Israeli government itself.
The initiative was organized by the "FuoriTempo" association together with other local groups, with the cooperation of the FdCA's Fano/Pesaro branch, in particular with regard to Italian-language material on the activities of Anarchists Against The Wall and the libertarian left in Israel.
D.R. Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici - Fano/Pesaro Branch http://www.fdca.it/fdcaen
From: Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Friday, November 17, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, Just a regular act of joint struggle against the fence and occupation. 17 Nov 2006
For long we have already stopped to count the Friday demonstration and other direct actions we did together in Bil'in since February 2005 (more than hundred joint confrontations with the Israeli state forces, by the Bil'in villagers together with the Israeli activists of the anarchists against the wall and international activists. To day we started as usual at noon with the march on the road leading to the route of the separation fence. Chanting all the way to the blocked gate to the route and beyond. On the way we could see the Israeli soldiers standing near the last houses of the village, waiting in provocation for the stone thrower youth. Most of the youth dispersed on the two sides of the road waiting for the usual confrontation to start. About 5 of them "joined" the match towards the blocked gate to the route, to throw stones behind the backs of the non violent demonstration.
When we arrived at the blocked gate we seen that the state forces fortified it with lot of spools of barbed wire. The more daring demonstrators were not satisfied by merely verbal confrontation and started to pool the barbed wire so the gate will not be blocked.... From time to time, the state forces threw shock grenades, but the experienced demonstrators just moved a meter or so from grenades and continue pooling.
Standing on elevated ground near the gate I seen there the stone throwers contemplating when to start to throw the stone behind our backs. After a while, one of the started to count loudly and at three they threw a short shower of stones and run away - leaving the nonviolent demonstrators to receive the retaliation of the state forces to continue their throwing from a less dangerous distance.
The state forces used plenty of shock grenades, tear gas canisters and even shoot metal bullets covered by rubber.
On our way back we seen a group of soldiers who forced their way to the roof of a house in the outskirt of the village and was shooting and throwing grenades on the stone throwers and the returning demonstrators. Few Israelis and local comrades confronted them verbally and it took long time till they got down from the roof.
During the time of confrontation till we returned to Tel Aviv, one Palestinian was hit with a bullet to his head and was rushed to hospital. One Israeli comrade was hit a bit less seriously in her belly. Many had nasty experience with the tear gas.
When we arrived at the blocked gate we seen that the state forces fortified it with lot of spools of barbed wire. The more daring demonstrators were not satisfied by merely verbal confrontation and started to pool the barbed wire so the gate will not be blocked.... From time to time, the state forces threw shock grenades, but the experienced demonstrators just moved a meter or so from grenades and continue pooling.
Standing on elevated ground near the gate I seen there the stone throwers contemplating when to start to throw the stone behind our backs. After a while, one of the started to count loudly and at three they threw a short shower of stones and run away - leaving the nonviolent demonstrators to receive the retaliation of the state forces to continue their throwing from a less dangerous distance.
The state forces used plenty of shock grenades, tear gas canisters and even shoot metal bullets covered by rubber.
On our way back we seen a group of soldiers who forced their way to the roof of a house in the outskirt of the village and was shooting and throwing grenades on the stone throwers and the returning demonstrators. Few Israelis and local comrades confronted them verbally and it took long time till they got down from the roof.
During the time of confrontation till we returned to Tel Aviv, one Palestinian was hit with a bullet to his head and was rushed to hospital. One Israeli comrade was hit a bit less seriously in her belly. Many had nasty experience with the tear gas.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Palestine Israel, Azun Atme, A new front of joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation 16 Nov 2006
Azun Atme is a typical Palestinian village. Less than two thousands inhabitants, and many of his adults are working their land. In many ways it is not so typical as it has modern hothouse agriculture - in addition to the traditional olive grooves. It is also different as it is cut by the separation fence that pass on its East. About a month ago the village was notified that there will be built a separation fence that will encircle the village from all sides and will robe 4 thousand dunams (4 square kilometers) of its land. It will also encircle as separate entity a small part of the village on the the other side of the road that was built to serve the near by Israeli colonial settlements. A delegation of the anarchists against the wall initiative was invited to a meeting to discus the option for joint struggle and today was the first demonstration against the new separation fence that was already started to be built.
Around noon, a group of activists of the AATW joined two hundreds of Azun villagers (including few of its females and some old people) near the municipality house and started a long march towards the site of the works on the separation fence. The marchers held high lot of banners and flags.
When we were on our way from the intersection to the village and when we assembled near the municipality armored cars of the Israeli forces showed their presence. When we arrived near the fence building site few armed cars and a chain of soldiers blocked our way.
After half an hour nearly quiet stand still the commander declared the area behind the road block as closed military area threating to arrest any one who will cross that line. Then a belligerent sergeant started to harass some children and activists of AATW confronted him and made him stop.
After another hour the demonstration ended and every one returned home.
It was a strange experience to see and hear talking two inhabitants of a near by Israeli colonialist settlement who came to the demonstration in support to the objection to the new fence surrounding the Azun village.
Around noon, a group of activists of the AATW joined two hundreds of Azun villagers (including few of its females and some old people) near the municipality house and started a long march towards the site of the works on the separation fence. The marchers held high lot of banners and flags.
When we were on our way from the intersection to the village and when we assembled near the municipality armored cars of the Israeli forces showed their presence. When we arrived near the fence building site few armed cars and a chain of soldiers blocked our way.
After half an hour nearly quiet stand still the commander declared the area behind the road block as closed military area threating to arrest any one who will cross that line. Then a belligerent sergeant started to harass some children and activists of AATW confronted him and made him stop.
After another hour the demonstration ended and every one returned home.
It was a strange experience to see and hear talking two inhabitants of a near by Israeli colonialist settlement who came to the demonstration in support to the objection to the new fence surrounding the Azun village.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, Friday demonstration continue and draw supporters from all over the world. 10 Nov 2006
This Friday demonstration was following a Thursday meeting of the Bil'in popular comity for struggle against the separation fence and activists of the anarchists against the wall initiative. In the meeting we discussed the strategy for the near future struggle and today's demo. In this demo who started at noon from the village center towards the route of the separation fence participated the usual Bil'in villagers, Israeli anarchists against the wall, ISM internationalists and also a delegation of white haired old time activists from France, including the comrade injured in Bil'in last Friday by Israeli live amunition. We marched along the road chanting as usual, and to the sound drams with black ribos... We roused the memory of thr people murderd at Beit Hanun by Israeli artilery and the second year for the death of the late Yaser Arafat.
When we arrived at the route of the fence and the blocked entrance to it by the Israeli stae forces one of the marchers gave a speach. Then, we along the fence that border the route in the middle of it pass the electronic separation fence.
On our way we dragged from their place along the border of the route sections of the barbed wire spool. The soldiers did not like it and tried to deter us with shock grenades and even some tear gas canisters. We were not deterred by the noise of the shock grenades. We threw away or back to the soldiers tear gas canisters and suffered a bit the tear gas... but were not deterred.
After a protracted confrontation - including verbal, we reached a point where the fence bordering the route was less prohibiting. While the few soldiers following us tried to stop us, most of the demonstrators who were around, succeeded to enter the route and stay near the electronic fence and even touch it. At that point, lot of the soldiers who harried to block us just confronted physically the few of us who failed to enter the route of the fence.
After a long hour, we decided to return to the village taking a long route so we will evade the battle ground between the stone throwers and the state forces.
This Friday most of the stone throwers respected the agreement with the popular comity to do their acts not within the nonviolent demonstration. Few of them who did not respected it were driven away when they tried to disrupt our activity at the fence by stone throwing.
With the "music" of the shooting of rubber coated bullets and grenades from the battle ground, most of us returned for a meeting summing this Friday demo, some of us - mainly the photographers stayed behind to document the struggle between the state force and the stone throwers to supply some protection by deterring the use of live ammunition, as the soldiers did use last Friday demonstrations - injuring with it the neck of a 13 year old kid and the hand of a 69 year old participant of the France delegation of activists.
When we arrived at the route of the fence and the blocked entrance to it by the Israeli stae forces one of the marchers gave a speach. Then, we along the fence that border the route in the middle of it pass the electronic separation fence.
On our way we dragged from their place along the border of the route sections of the barbed wire spool. The soldiers did not like it and tried to deter us with shock grenades and even some tear gas canisters. We were not deterred by the noise of the shock grenades. We threw away or back to the soldiers tear gas canisters and suffered a bit the tear gas... but were not deterred.
After a protracted confrontation - including verbal, we reached a point where the fence bordering the route was less prohibiting. While the few soldiers following us tried to stop us, most of the demonstrators who were around, succeeded to enter the route and stay near the electronic fence and even touch it. At that point, lot of the soldiers who harried to block us just confronted physically the few of us who failed to enter the route of the fence.
After a long hour, we decided to return to the village taking a long route so we will evade the battle ground between the stone throwers and the state forces.
This Friday most of the stone throwers respected the agreement with the popular comity to do their acts not within the nonviolent demonstration. Few of them who did not respected it were driven away when they tried to disrupt our activity at the fence by stone throwing.
With the "music" of the shooting of rubber coated bullets and grenades from the battle ground, most of us returned for a meeting summing this Friday demo, some of us - mainly the photographers stayed behind to document the struggle between the state force and the stone throwers to supply some protection by deterring the use of live ammunition, as the soldiers did use last Friday demonstrations - injuring with it the neck of a 13 year old kid and the hand of a 69 year old participant of the France delegation of activists.
Friday, November 3, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, Israeli state forces shoot again live ammunition on demonstrators 03 Nov 2006
This friday demonstration was a relatively successful one. At noon, about 100 of us - Palestinians, internationals and Israelis of the anarchists against the wall initiative, started the 21 months in a row Friday demo. (About 100 and more joint actions of the village popular comity and Israeli anarchists against the wall - with international activists of the ISM mainly. This Friday we had two large contingents from Belgium and France. We marched as usual with chanting along the road leading to the route of the separation fence. (With two regular fences fortified with barbed wire spools on the two sides of the route and the erectric fence in its middle.)
As we do from time to time we did not continue to the blocked gate of the route, but went through the olive groove to a breach in the first fence and started to enter through it to the route. Surprised state forces tried to detere us with tear gas canisters and shock grenades, but many of us succeeded to enter and approached gates to the other side of the fence.
There the state forces gave a fight and moved reinforcemen so few of us who succeeded to pass had to retreat. We had a long low attrition verbal and physical attrition confrontation with the soldiers who blocked our free march within the route along the fence. Sometimes comrades threw away tear gas canister so the gas will not harm us once even throwing back tear gas canister which sofocated the soldiers who then were more restraint in tear gas canister throwing.... At some point, the soldiers yielded a bit and let the demonstrators who could not enter the fence route due to tear gas attack on the breach in the fence join us through the main gate....
After a long confrontation we decided toreturn to the village and the soldiers even cut for us the barbed wire that blocked the main gate from the route to the village.
As happen often lately, the youth who confront with stones the state forces engaged the contingents of gendarmes and soldiers who are sent to the outskirt of the village to provoke them. This way they respect the fragile agreement not to mix with us and not to throw stones behind our backs that give the state forces excuse to assoult us nonviolent demonstrators.
When we approached the fringe of the village we found our way blocked by a battle field between the stone throwers and the state forces. We even were witnesses to a police car entrupted for a while in a small alley by stone throwers. A bit later reinforcement of the state forces arrived and harased some of the demonstrators who failed to pass around the battle ground through the hills...
One of the Israelis was detained there for a while till she was released from the gendarm's car. The hand of an international activist age 69 was shoot at with live ammunition and was taken with ambulance to hospital in Ramalla, three Palestinians were injured less seriously. Lot of us suffered from non voluntary inhaling of tear gas of the new and more pungent strain tested last few weeks in Bil'in.
(It is well known and was even often in the Israeli media that the Israeli state forces using the assoults on the Bil'in Friday demonstrations as a test ground for various "nonlethal" means for dispersing crowds.)
The Israeli public radio channel and the main internet portals reported about the injured oldee activist and even brought our protest about the use of live ammunition that was shoot at him.
As we do from time to time we did not continue to the blocked gate of the route, but went through the olive groove to a breach in the first fence and started to enter through it to the route. Surprised state forces tried to detere us with tear gas canisters and shock grenades, but many of us succeeded to enter and approached gates to the other side of the fence.
There the state forces gave a fight and moved reinforcemen so few of us who succeeded to pass had to retreat. We had a long low attrition verbal and physical attrition confrontation with the soldiers who blocked our free march within the route along the fence. Sometimes comrades threw away tear gas canister so the gas will not harm us once even throwing back tear gas canister which sofocated the soldiers who then were more restraint in tear gas canister throwing.... At some point, the soldiers yielded a bit and let the demonstrators who could not enter the fence route due to tear gas attack on the breach in the fence join us through the main gate....
After a long confrontation we decided toreturn to the village and the soldiers even cut for us the barbed wire that blocked the main gate from the route to the village.
As happen often lately, the youth who confront with stones the state forces engaged the contingents of gendarmes and soldiers who are sent to the outskirt of the village to provoke them. This way they respect the fragile agreement not to mix with us and not to throw stones behind our backs that give the state forces excuse to assoult us nonviolent demonstrators.
When we approached the fringe of the village we found our way blocked by a battle field between the stone throwers and the state forces. We even were witnesses to a police car entrupted for a while in a small alley by stone throwers. A bit later reinforcement of the state forces arrived and harased some of the demonstrators who failed to pass around the battle ground through the hills...
One of the Israelis was detained there for a while till she was released from the gendarm's car. The hand of an international activist age 69 was shoot at with live ammunition and was taken with ambulance to hospital in Ramalla, three Palestinians were injured less seriously. Lot of us suffered from non voluntary inhaling of tear gas of the new and more pungent strain tested last few weeks in Bil'in.
(It is well known and was even often in the Israeli media that the Israeli state forces using the assoults on the Bil'in Friday demonstrations as a test ground for various "nonlethal" means for dispersing crowds.)
The Israeli public radio channel and the main internet portals reported about the injured oldee activist and even brought our protest about the use of live ammunition that was shoot at him.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Israel, Tel Aviv Demo at 15:00 today in front of the mexican embassy Mon, 30 Oct 2006
First the invitation sent this night to the mailing list of the radical left* and to the list of the anarchists against the wall (in both English and Hebrew URGENT: Demo at 15:00 today (12:00 GMT)in front of the Mexican embassy Mexican paramilitaries murdered 5 people in Oaxaca since Saturday in an attempt to break the teachers strike, and federal police forces are now moving in trying to occupy the city. The strikers are calling for mass demonstrations and resistance. Efforts are mostly centered around the university.
There has also been a call for international solidarity.
We'll hold a solidarity demonstration today (Monday) in front the Mexican embassy tomorrow at 15:00 - Hamered St 25 (near the carmel market) Bring signs if you can.
More info: http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/index.html
And we had our vigil in front of the building the Mexican embassy is located. We were about 20 people - one from the general radical left and 19 of the subscribers of the anarchists against the wall list (mostly anarchists).
We lighted candles and held placards with a relevant content and flags with the anarchist A in circle on them.
There were some educational talks with few passers by of the half deserted business street. passer by in cars and busses read our placards. A noise "orchestra" made the occasion less sad a bit.
Surprise surprise, in contradiction to the heavy police presence, a person of the Mexican embassy approach our vigil and invited a delegation to enter the embassy... which returned after half an hour with copies of a kind of apologetic text translated in the embassy into Hebrew.
=======================================
* ActLeft, action list in Israel-Palestine.
For international (outside of Israel-Palestine) networking about Israel-Palestine peace activities, see Encounter-EMEM:
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Encounter-EMEM
Roughly 200 Israelis and Palestinians turned out for a protest march Saturday against the construction of a new West Bank viaduct that will be open to Israeli traffic only.
The viaduct will run along the existing Route 60 from the Etzion settlement bloc to El Arub.
Among the demonstrators were activists from all the Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, as well as members of Israeli organizations "Anarchists Against the Fence," "Ta'ayush," and "Fighters for Peace."
The demonstrators said the viaduct, which they termed an "apartheid road," not only discriminates on the basis of race but will also necessitate the expropriation of land from the Palestinian villages of Halhul, Beit Umar, and El Arub.
"This is a protest against the apartheid road that will be constructed," said Ta'ayush activist Avihai Sharon. "Route 60 will be for Palestinians, while above it a viaduct will be built for Jews only."
"The road will also steal land from Palestinian villages like Beit Umar and Halhul".
The march set out from Beit Umar and ended in the El Arub school. Cooperation between Hamas and Fatah activists was evident in the demonstration, despite the severe tensions between the two factions.
=============================
Published by Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz 23/12/2006
Copied from http://awalls.org
There has also been a call for international solidarity.
We'll hold a solidarity demonstration today (Monday) in front the Mexican embassy tomorrow at 15:00 - Hamered St 25 (near the carmel market) Bring signs if you can.
More info: http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/index.html
And we had our vigil in front of the building the Mexican embassy is located. We were about 20 people - one from the general radical left and 19 of the subscribers of the anarchists against the wall list (mostly anarchists).
We lighted candles and held placards with a relevant content and flags with the anarchist A in circle on them.
There were some educational talks with few passers by of the half deserted business street. passer by in cars and busses read our placards. A noise "orchestra" made the occasion less sad a bit.
Surprise surprise, in contradiction to the heavy police presence, a person of the Mexican embassy approach our vigil and invited a delegation to enter the embassy... which returned after half an hour with copies of a kind of apologetic text translated in the embassy into Hebrew.
=======================================
* ActLeft, action list in Israel-Palestine.
For international (outside of Israel-Palestine) networking about Israel-Palestine peace activities, see Encounter-EMEM:
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Encounter-EMEM
Roughly 200 Israelis and Palestinians turned out for a protest march Saturday against the construction of a new West Bank viaduct that will be open to Israeli traffic only.
The viaduct will run along the existing Route 60 from the Etzion settlement bloc to El Arub.
Among the demonstrators were activists from all the Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, as well as members of Israeli organizations "Anarchists Against the Fence," "Ta'ayush," and "Fighters for Peace."
The demonstrators said the viaduct, which they termed an "apartheid road," not only discriminates on the basis of race but will also necessitate the expropriation of land from the Palestinian villages of Halhul, Beit Umar, and El Arub.
"This is a protest against the apartheid road that will be constructed," said Ta'ayush activist Avihai Sharon. "Route 60 will be for Palestinians, while above it a viaduct will be built for Jews only."
"The road will also steal land from Palestinian villages like Beit Umar and Halhul".
The march set out from Beit Umar and ended in the El Arub school. Cooperation between Hamas and Fatah activists was evident in the demonstration, despite the severe tensions between the two factions.
=============================
Published by Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz 23/12/2006
Copied from http://awalls.org
Friday, October 27, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, A big demonstration to celebrate 20 months of joint struggle 27 Oct 2006
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.
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.
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