Some 150 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists gathered in Bil'in today for the weekly demonstration against the wall. Some women demonstrators marched towards the path of the wall holding signs that marked yesterday's International Women's Day.
The demonstrators arrived at the gate of the wall chanting slogans and were greeted by a razor wire behind which a line of armed soldiers stood. Immediately upon arrival, an officer made his usual announcement that this is a closed military zone and that this demonstration is illegal.
While some protesters tried to remove the wire, others tried to pass on the other side of the gate in hope to get to the village's lands on the other side of the wall. The soldiers pushed and hit these demonstrators with batons, and soon enough threw numerous sound and teargas grenades. At that point, the soldiers opened the gate and entered the village, chasing some protesters with rubber bullets.
Nevertheless, demonstrators managed to regroup at the gate. Soldiers pushed and shoved the chanting demonstrators and also beat some. An Israeli activist that tried to pass under the gate was wounded in the leg by a sound grenade that a soldier had carefully dropped right by his leg. Another demonstrator who was trying to prevent the arrest of a Palestinian demonstrator, was dragged on the ground for a few meters and then was hit in the face with a riffle butt. The two were evacuated to the hospital.
An Israeli anarchist, left, a few minutes before being knocked unconscious
Later on in the demonstration, two Palestinian demonstrators had to be taken to the hospital, after being shot with rubber bullets, one in the stomach and one in the arm. Other than these four, 12 more demonstrators were injured today, bringing the count to 16.
