Army attack peaceful demo to fence in West Bank

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Thursday November 13, 2003 17:06 by Aron Baker baker_aron at hotmail dot com Balatta refuge camp, West Bank 087 2895036

Palestinians and internationals beaten with batons, teargassed and other forms of assault during peaceful demonstration against apartheid wall

Israeli soldiers and Border Police attacked over 300 Palestinians and 30 internationals at the “separation fence” in the Tulkarem region today, throwing teargas, percussion grenades and beating the nonviolent protesters with batons. One American, Bruce Groeneveld from Washington, has been forcefully detained and remains in custody of the Israeli Army.

At 11:30am on Thursday, November 13, Palestinians from Tulkarem and surrounding villages together with International Solidarity Movement and the International Women’s Peace Team marched towards a gate in the wall outside of the village of Baka Sharqia, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “The Wall Must Fall.” Members of the Swedish Parliament were also present. Within minutes of starting the peaceful march, Israeli Forces fired percussion grenades and teargas into the crowd. Due to the Israeli Army’s violent response, the demonstrators dispersed and regrouped several times in order to continue the nonviolent protest, each time sustaining more injuries. Israeli soldiers attempted to arrest one Jewish-American volunteer over five times, but were unsuccessful.

During the arrest attempts soldiers beat a Welsh volunteer leaving a seven-inch welt on his back, hit an American bruising his arm, repeatedly kicked an Irish man, pulling out a clump of his hair. The 73-year-old Welsh man was also hit with a baton. Several Palestinians and internationals were hit by scalding teargas canisters shot from rifles including: 2 Danes aged 65 an 67, and a Welsh man aged 73.

Two Palestinian women were hit by tear gas canisters, causing burning and many others were also beaten by soldier’s wielding batons.

Today’s violent response by the Israeli Army towards peaceful opposition to the Wall and the ghettoization of the West Bank is yet another indication that even nonviolent resistance to the Occupation will not be tolerated. Despite this intolerance, Palestinians and internationals will continue nonviolent action against the Wall in the Tulkarem region.

The above was written by someone else but accurately sums up the events.
Despite numerous dearrests, some interveneing when soldiers where beating people with batons, mainly Palestinians, and 1 successful puppy pile, where by we piled on top of an international they were trying really hard to take, we eventualy lost 1 from the pile, whom they took away and arrested. Apparently he is accused of throwing rocks at soldiers and attacking soldiers which of course he did neither of, but when accused here there is really no defense, so its very possible he will be deported but we hope not. There was only 1 Irish man there, so that was me, they tried, unsuccessfully, to drag me off the puppy pile by my hair and bag straps, breaking my bag strap but neither the kicking or loss of hair was too severe. They shot a lot of teargas canisters and sound bombs or precussion grenades. Some of the tear gas was hand thrown but most launched from weapons and featured some that fire, split in the air into 3 seperate canisters before landing and releasing the tear gas. We will return to a neighbouring vilage for another demo soon.