In the West Bank, residents of Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Jayyous and alMa'sara were joined on Friday by Israeli and international activists for protest marches against the construction of Israel's Wall.
Teargas grenade thrown at protesters, Bil'in. Photo: Haitham Alkatib
In Bil'in, scores of residents gathered after traditional Friday prayers for a protest march joined by Israeli and international activists. Protesters marched from the village's center in the direction of the wall carrying Palestinian flags and banners denouncing the occupation, the settlements and Israel's war crimes against civilians in Gaza as well as throughout Palestine.
As the crowd reached the fence of the separation barrier, a few people attempted to walk through the gate and onto the village's own lands (confiscated by Israel). Soldiers waiting on the other side of the fence reacted by firing tear gas canisters at the demonstration, followed by a few sporadic rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets later on. Protesters were then forced to retreat back to the village, many of them suffering from teargas inhalation, as some local residents responded to the soldiers' attack by throwing stones.
Weekly protest against the wall, Ni'ilin. Video by Yisrael Puterman
In Ni'ilin, around two hundred Palestinians, Israelis and internationals began marching at noon from the village's clinic in the direction of the wall; however the protest march managed to advance only about fifty meters before it was attacked from both sides by soldiers positioned among the olive trees and on the hill overlooking the marchers' path. Without any provocation, troops fired teargas canisters directly at demonstrators, causing the march to scatter in all directions, and prompting some of the local youth to respond by throwing stones.
Shortly after, soldiers advanced towards the protesters, positioning themselves at the outskirts of the village and driving most of the demonstrators into the center with large amounts of tear gas, as well as several rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets. Protesters built small barricades to prevent army jeeps from driving directly into the village, and small groups of young Ni'ilin residents kept the soldiers at bay for hours using slingshots, moving quickly between the narrow streets and alleys.
Demonstrator kicking teargas canister, Ni'ilin
In Jayyous, Israeli troops attempted to control the demonstration by arriving beforehand and occupying the two houses nearest to the location of the wall, positioning themselves on the rooftops. While one house was empty, the family of the other house resisted the violent intrusion, and with the help of international and Israeli activists tried to keep the soldiers out. In the confrontation that ensued, one Israeli activist was arrested and several people were injured by soldiers' blows. Soldiers also threw two concussion grenades into the house while many people were still inside, causing the father of the family (who has a heart condition) to collapse.
Shortly after, Jayyous residents along with international and Israeli activists began the protest march towards the wall, this week joined by members of the Palestinian People's Party (the former Communist Party). Protesters reached the site of the wall, where a few speeches were made, and as the march ended Israeli troops shot a relatively small amount of tear gas and a few rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets in the direction of the village, from which local youth were seen throwing a few stones at the Israeli occupation forces.
Activists attempting to prevent soldiers from entering a Palestinian home, Jayyous
As the army was headed out of the village, soldiers shot a single live bullet at a young Palestinian man standing in the window of a house, for no particular reason. The man was injured in his thigh and transferred to a nearby hospital. Residents of the village reacted with anger at the shooting and came out to confront the troops, who were already on the other side of the separation barrier. Soldiers fired yet more tear gas and rubber coated bullets, and short clashes between stone throwers and Israeli troops ensued.
In alMa'sara, about one hundred residents, joined by two dozen Israeli and international activists, led a peaceful march from the village in the direction of the wall's route, shouting slogans of resistance and playing music in front of the Israeli troops. Soldiers, backed by a few police and border police, placed a razor-wire barrier at the entrance to the village and formed a line behind it, stopping demonstrators from advancing further.
Palestinian residents insisted on their right to protest and proceeded to peacefully remove the razor-wire from the main road, but did not attempt to march past the soldiers, and eventually ended the demonstration in a spirit of defiance but without any violence.
Soldiers blocking protesters with barbed-wire in alMa'sara
