Peace Activists Attacked by Israeli Occupation Soldiers in Budrus, Bil'in, Ni'lin, Al-Ma'asarah During Protests Against Illegal Israeli Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall

Villagers Protest Israel’s Wall Near Bethlehem

Friday March 19, 2010 16:27 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Villagers of al-Ma’sara, near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, protested against the Israeli Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall, which has been built on Palestinian lands, on Friday.

The people were joined by Israeli and international supporters. The protest started at the village center and headed towards the wall construction site.

People held a large poster of Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist killed by the Israeli army in Gaza in 2003.

Israeli troops erected a military checkpoint at the road leading to the wall being built of the village lands.

Organizers delivered speeches in Arabic, English and Hebrew demanding the halt to Israeli escalation of settlement construction in the West Bank especially in east Jerusalem. The speakers noted the 7th anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie.

The people dispersed peacefully but promised to come back next week for another action.

Five Injured, Eight Detained At Anti Wall Protest In Budrus Village Central West Bank

Friday March 19, 2010 17:01 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Five Palestinians were injured, eight others detained when Israeli occupation forces attacked a protest against the Israeli Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall, which has been built on Palestinian lands, at the village of Budrus, near Ramallah city, central West Bank.

Villagers, along with their international and Israeli supporters, marched from the village towards their lands taken by Israel to build the wall. Israeli soldiers used tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and sound bombs to stop the protest.

Five residents were injured by rubber-coated steel bullets. Israeli occupation soldiers chased the people back to the village and detained eight of them. Among those detained, were two Palestinian journalists working for the Palestinian state TV.

The protest today was organized after the army informed the residents of Budrus, on Thursday, that more lands will be taken to build a watch tower for soldiers on villagers’ lands. The village lost land for the wall back in 2004.

Bil’in Protest The Wall, Israeli And International Supports Join Braking Army Orders

Friday March 19, 2010 16:48 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

The villagers of Bil’in, central West Bank, along with international and Israeli supporters protest against the Israeli Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall, which has been built on Palestinian lands.

The Israeli occupation army, this week, announced the villages of Bil’in and N'ilin, central West Bank, are closed military zones every Friday for six months.

The order forbids Israelis and international supporters from getting inside the villages on Friday or they will face arrests and deportation. The village of Bil'in has been staging these Friday Protests since 2005.

As has been the case since the inception of the protest, villagers today were joined by Israeli and international supporters and marched, after the midday prayers, towards the lands Israeli took to build the wall.

As soon as the protesters reached the gate of the wall, that separates farmers from their lands, troops stationed there fired tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets at them.

Local youths managed to remove part of the wall before tear gas and sound bombs forced them back. Dozens were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.

The Israeli occupation government court ordered the army to remove the wall built on Bil’in's lands two year ago. The army started to reroute the section of the wall there only one month ago.

In Defiance of Military Orders, Scores Protest At The Village Of Nil ‘in, Central West Bank

Friday March 19, 2010 15:53 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Villagers, along with international and Israeli supporters, protested on Friday at the village of Nil ‘in, central West Bank, against the Israeli Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall, which has been built on Palestinian lands.

The Israeli occupation army announced, this week, that the villages of Bil’in and N'ilin, central West Bank, will be closed military zones every Friday for the next six months. The order forbids Israelis and international supporters from entering the villages on Friday or they will face arrests and deportation.

The two villages are sites of weekly nonviolent anti-wall and settlement protests. These protests are often joined by international and Israeli activists, especially in the village of Bil'in who has been running Friday Protests since 2005.

On Friday, villagers conducted midday prayers at lands close to the wall then marched towards it. Israeli troops were heavly deployed at the gate of the wall separating farmers from their lands.

The protesters instead went to a nearby location and managed to hang a Palestinian flag on the wall itself. Later, soldiers used tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse the crowd. Dozens suffered from the effects of tear gas inhalation.

The nonviolent weekly protest ended with clashes between local youths and troops. Early on Friday the army sealed off Nil ‘in village and did not allow international and Israeli supporters, along with journalists, to access the village. People had to use an alternative farming road to get into the village to reach the protest site.

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