This week’s demonstration in Bil’in protested military violence against children, and was dedicated to Abir Aramin, a ten year old from the village of Anata near Jerusalem. Abir was hit in the back of her head with either a rubber coated steel bullet, or with a concussion grenade, as border policemen invaded Anata Tuesday. She died of her wounds last night at the Hadasa Ein Karem hospital in Jerusalem.
Palestinian demonstrators chanting on their way to the wall
Around a hundred Palestinian, Israeli and international demonstrators, amongst them children who highlighted the demonstration’s theme, marched towards the gate in the wall, to find the only passage to village’s lands closed and barricaded with razor wire. As it became clear that passage would not be possible, protesters started chanting. A few demonstrators started pulling and dismantling the razor wire in front of the gate.
Demonstrators dismantling the razor wire in front of the gate
After a single stone was thrown by one of the children, an action that was quickly stopped by the adults, the Israeli army launched a massive assault of teargas and rubber bullets. The army’s assault dispersed the majority of the demonstration, and was then answered by a fusillade of stones and paint-bombs from the village’s youth. As the larger than usual contingent of soldiers opened the gate and moved into the village, a small group of activists managed to sneak through the gate, but were quickly warded off by remaining soldiers using batons. One Israeli activist was thrown at a fence repeatedly, and then, after he sat on the ground, beaten with batons and kicked. Another Israeli activist suffered similar treatment. After clinging to each other, they were both arrested. Shortly after, another Israeli, and a member of Bil’in’s popular committee against the wall were also arrested for no apparent reason.
Israeli demonstrators being arrested
As the crowd dispersed, the three arrested Israelis were released, while the Palestinian was not – a clear example of Israel’s racial discrimination. The Palestinian was eventually released as well, after the Israelis refused to leave without him.
For a long hour after the demonstrators had already dispersed, soldiers and border policemen remained in the village shooting teargas and rubber bullets, targeting mainly children, and demonstrating even greater enmity than usual.
Eight people were injured during the demonstration today, four of them children. One of those children was hospitalized in Ramallah after being hit in the head with a baton.
Click here for a video of the demonstration
