On Friday, residents of Bil’in and Ni’ilin, two West Bank villages in the Ramallah area, were once more joined by Israeli and international activists in their weekly protest marches against Israel’s wall, whose construction involves expropriation of Palestinian agricultural lands on a massive scale.
In Bil’in, where the Popular Committee called for the weekly demonstration to mark the 33rd anniversary of Land Day, the protest was especially festive, with the help of the village’s Folklore troupe doing traditional dances along Bil’in’s streets. The march, which began as usual from the center of the village following the Friday prayers, also coincided with the celebrations of Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture (harshly repressed in Jerusalem itself by the Israeli establishment), as well as with the Arab Summit held in Damascus, towards which protesters directed calls to push forward a total boycott of Israel. Numerous members of the Palestinian National Initiative also took part in this weeks’ demonstration.
Members of Bil'in's Folklore Troupe at the separation barrier
The hundreds of marchers, headed by a truck playing music, carried flags and banners with messages such as “unity against land confiscation” and “Free Palestinian political prisoners”. As the dancers at the head of the march reached the gate of the separation barrier, Israeli troops positioned on the other side of the fences immediately and without provocation began showering the crowd with teargas grenades and canisters. Despite of the gas, a few demonstrators managed to open the gate of the separation barrier and proceeded to stand in the road between the two fences, facing the soldiers directly. Some of the village’s youth responded to the soldiers’ attack by throwing stones.
Various protesters suffered from gas inhalation and four were injured and received medical care on the scene - one of them an international journalist.
Border police firing teargas canisters inside Ni'ilin
In Ni’ilin, over two hundred people gathered by the village’s clinic after prayers and attempted to march eastward onto Ni’ilin’s own lands, in the direction of the wall. However, while demonstrators were still inside the village, Israeli soldiers hiding within a very short distance from the main road began firing teargas canisters directly at the crowd, without any provocation, dispersing the march before it could even properly take place. Many residents responded to this assault by throwing stones.
Protester in front of a barricade throws back teargas canister, Ni'ilin
Shortly after, troops both on foot and in jeeps gradually positioned themselves further inside the village, with demonstrators scattering through the village’s alleyways and stonethrowers fighting back, many of them from the rooftops. Barricades were erected on the main road to prevent army vehicles from advancing. Soldiers and border police, including snipers, occupied a sizable part of the village, firing large amounts of teargas canisters as well as live ammunition at anyone within sight. A young Palestinian was shot in his leg with a .22 caliber bullet and was transferred to a hospital in Ramallah.
Demonstrator evacuated after being shot in the leg with live ammunition, Ni'ilin
Clashes ended after several hours, with troops finally retreating and leaving the village.
