Bil'in

Bil'in 5th anniversary

In the same week that construction work started on the new and only partially-better route of the wall in Bil'in, a complex logistic operation of the A.A. Wall travel agency brought over 300 people from Israel to the village's 5th struggle-anniversary demonstration. Despite several attempts, the army managed to prevent only a small number of cars from entering the village. The demonstrators joined radical clowns, a Palestinian prime minister, the Ka/Ya-Samba percussionists, representatives of various Palestinian parties, The Palestinian Struggle Youth Union marching band, one mayor from Geneva, dozens of journalists and supporters from all over Palestine and other parts of the world to express solidarity with the local wo/men of Bil'in in their struggle against the evils of the Israeli Occupation.
After a string of speeches in various languages and a jam session of the Palestinian marching band and the Israeli percussionists, about 1,500 people marched to the wall. The soldiers stood behind their usual post, and so the demonstrators broke forward, crossed the gate, tore down some 30 meters of the illegal fence, crossed it, and marched over the soldiers' front post.

The fence coming down

After a few minutes of ecstasy, while dignitaries were still making their way forward, the army's foul water cannon made a surprise guest appearance, and managed to push the demonstrators back behind the fence. In a typical expression of oppression, after the demonstrators already backed away from the smelly water, the army used a cannon to fire dozens of gas canisters - not into the few demonstrators at the front, but rather into the hundreds retreating or standing peacefully behind. The wind coming down the path combined with the panic of inexperienced demonstrators led to many injuries from gas inhalation, impact and falling. After the initial dispersal some demonstrators remained to absorb exceptionally large amounts of gas for the struggle. As has become customary lately, when the last demonstrators were on their way to the village, a few soldiers invaded the village, but due to the massive presence of supporters, they settled for one more round of gas, returning to bask in their own stench.

Ma'asara
Israeli Occupation Forces aggressively dispersed a peaceful demonstration of Palestinians protesting the construction of the Israeli apartheid wall through their land in the Occupied West Bank town of Ma'sara on Friday afternoon.
Approximately 100 Palestinians and 20 internationals and Israelis gathered to protest against the construction of the illegal barrier. The demonstration took place with the participation of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine for their 41st anniversary. The Barrier is built on the land of the villagers of Ma'sara and will block the residents from their farmland. They have already lost more than 350 hectares of land to a nearby Israeli Settlement.
Men and women of all ages gathered after the Friday prayer and marched through the main road of the village, and this week they decided to march on the settler road to bypass the squads of soldiers with razor wire fence meant to stop them on the Palestinian road. It was on this new path that organizers of The Popular Committee Against the Wall in Ma'sara gave speeches. The demonstrators then walked toward their land at which time Israeli soldiers in a jeep approached and began firing tear gas and throwing concussion grenades into the group, which quickly dispersed as the soldiers chased them into the village and continued firing tear gas at them.   
An eighteen years old demonstrator was injured and tens of people suffered from tear gas, including people who are in their homes.

Ni'ilin
In Ni'ilin, some 50 demonstrators, including Israeli activists, marched after the Friday prayer towards the wall. Unlike previous weeks, the gate was closed, and no military presence was seen. The demonstrators marched along the concrete wall, and arrived at a fence. There, some of the demonstrators burned tires near electrical sensors, causing them damage. Only after long minutes did a military jeep emerge, from which several soldiers started shooting tear gas and sound grenades. Some of the youth retaliated with stones as the soldiers kept firing tear gas, and occasionally live ammunition. It wasn't long before another group of soldiers crossed the wall and entered the fields, chasing the demonstrators to a nearby hill. Fortunately enough, no arrests or injuries occurred this week, and after regrouping, the demonstration was declared over.
 Nabi-Saleh
In Nabi-Saleh, some 100 demonstrators, alongside International and Israeli activists marched towards the agricultural lands of the village. They were met with soldiers blocking the way, and as these were not satisfied with the lack of violence, they started shooting tear gas and sound grenades from close distance. The group dispersed, and confrontations erupted near the village entrance. The soldiers shot tear gas and many rubber-coated steel bullets, inflicting many injuries. For almost 5(!) hours did the confrontations persist. Periodically, the soldiers entered the village either with jeeps or by foot. During the last such raid, the invading soldiers also used live ammunition, some shot to the air and some directly at the demonstrators.

Nabi-Saleh
In Nabi-Saleh, some 100 demonstrators, alongside International and Israeli activists marched towards the agricultural lands of the village. They were met with soldiers blocking the way, and as these were not satisfied with the lack of violence, they started shooting tear gas and sound grenades from close distance. The group dispersed, and confrontations erupted near the village entrance. The soldiers shot tear gas and many rubber-coated steel bullets, inflicting many injuries. For almost 5(!) hours did the confrontations persist. Periodically, the soldiers entered the village either with jeeps or by foot. During the last such raid, the invading soldiers also used live ammunition, some shot in the air and some directly at the demonstrators.

Nabi-Saleh

Sheik Jarrah
About 150 people came to the demonstration in Sheik Jarrah yesterday evening. “Tzedek” (Justice) a giant puppet-demonstrator controlled by three people made his first debut, and this “snake of occupation”, slithered through the crowd. A marching band rallied the crowd with the support of the neighborhood kids on a megaphone leading chants. Police and Special Forces were present to prevent activists from entering the community to show their support for evicted Palestinian families. Settlers could be seen mingling with the police as the demonstration went on. The settlers were allowed to cross the police barricade at will. Near the end of the demonstration, as the puppet-snake tried to cross over towards the neighborhood, the activist holding its head was arrested. Eventually the demonstration ended with no further arrests.

Sheikh Jarrah demonstration