The theme to this week's demonstration in Ma'asara was solidarity with Omar Ala-Din, a resident of the village and activist in the demonstrations, that was recognized as such by soldiers two weeks ago in a checkpoint, and was therefore beaten badly and held in custody for more than a week. Some hundred Palestinian, Israeli and international demonstrators marched through the village streets in the rain, carrying pictures of Ala-Din's scars and calling for an end to the occupation. Protestors were joined by Al-Aqsa mosque high Sheikh, Taisir Al-Tamimi, and were stopped by soldiers who blocked the village exit. The Sheikh and other demonstrators called upon the soldiers in Arabic, English and Hebrew to refuse to participate in the oppression of the popular struggle, this in the same week when four teenage Palestinian were shot dead by the army.
Ma'asara, March 26 2010
A joint Israeli-Italian samba drumming band accompanied the demonstrators as they tried to go over the barbed wired fence the soldiers put on the road. Soldiers responded by pushing and threatening the demonstrators, claiming that if the march will go over the fence it will "cease to be non-violent". After another 15 minutes the demonstration was over, and the march returned to the village, where a solidarity visit was made to the home of Ala-Din, who told his story and promised to return to activity once healed of his wounds.
In Ni'ilin, a smaller than usual demonstration was held due to the heavy rains, with some 50-60 demonstrators participating. The demonstrators marched to the wall where the gate was closed and after few minutes the soldiers start shooting tear gas at the group. Few moments later the rain picked up and demonstrators had to hide beneath olive trees, while the soldiers did the same hiding in their outpost. The demonstration ended after approximately an hour.
In heavy rain some 30 Israelis, international and Palestinian supporters and Mustafa Barghouti joined Bil'in locals for the weekly demonstration against the wall. Despite of the army's threats that anyone approaching the fence will "get hurt", the procession insistently reached it's destination and began the traditional ceremony of attempting to open the gate. After around 10 minutes of chanting and attempting, the army grew tiered of free speech and commenced firing gas and shock grenades at unarmed civilians. In retaliation, 2 Palestinian protesters and one Israeli, bearing Palestinian flags, decided to cross the gate. The army quickly responded and sent 6 of its finest assaulters to beat and arrest the Israeli demonstrator, while contaminating the environment with more gas. The youth then joined with their stones for a short army dispersal session and more gas ensued after the demonstration was declared over.
In the village Nabi-Saleh, another Friday Demonstration was held in harsh weather, featuring dozens of demonstrators confronting soldiers in the village streets for several hours. Slow wind caused every salvo of gas to surround the streets for long minutes yet the demonstrators again and again confronted the soldiers from different directions. In addition to usuing tear gas, the soldiers shot rubber coated steel bullets, injuring some demonstrators.
Nabi-Saleh, March 26 2010
In Sheikh Jarrah some 400 demonstrators protested against the ongoing ethnic cleansing policies of the Jerusalem municipality and the Israeli government, with the proxy of violent settlers and police. Following the approval of new (Jewish) construction plans in the Shepard hotel compound about one hundred demonstrators marched to the hotel and held a parallel vigil there, after which they marched back to the central demonstration through the neighborhood. The police, which since the beginning of the protests in the neighborhood forbids demonstrators to actually enter it while settlers are allowed free access, attacked the march and threatened with arrests. However, eventually the march was freed and both parts of the demonstration were reunited in the regular location. After an hour and a half of protest, drumming and singing, demonstrators left peacefully.
Sheikh Jarrah, March 26 2010
Hours after the demonstration was over, police reached one of the regular activists in the struggle, Michael Solsbury, and arrested him for suspicion of rioting. This is the first time that police come to an activist's house, and make arrests outside of demonstrating hours. Solsbury was held in custody and questioned, and was finally released, but informed that charges will be pressed the next day.
