Nonviolent Palestinian resistance continues in spite of Israeli attacks and arrests
24/05/2008
Source : PNN
by Najib Farrag
The nonviolent resistance continued its weekly demonstrations in southern Bethlehem on Friday.
In Umm Salamuna Village, residents and supporters walked together toward the Wall that is hemming them in. Israeli soldiers prevented the group from moving and attacked several. Seven foreign supporters were arrested.
The nonviolent march of 250 began with demonstrators singing as they walked from the secondary school with members of the local media in tow. Dozens of soldiers blocked the path with jeeps, their machine guns and rolls of barbed wire. Israeli forces fired concussion grenades and gas, while beating many. One Palestinian was severely injured. The soldiers also arrested seven foreign supporters and took them to the military jail inside the Gush Etzion Settlement bloc built on southern Bethlehem lands.
Last week Israeli forces arrested the spokesperson for the Committee Against the Wall in Southern Bethlehem, an active member of the nonviolent resistance in the area ongoing for a year and half. He is a political prisoner now, but without charge or trial. He was sentenced to six months in Administrative Detention.
In southwestern Bethlehem, the town of Al Khader also held its weekly nonviolent demonstration where residents began by praying on the ground. They proceeded to walk toward the bypass road where dozens of soldiers and their jeeps were placed behind rolls of barbed wire. Since they could not move forward, the demonstrators gave speeches about the ongoing Nakba, Catastrophe, and waved Palestinian flags while chanting for freedom and against Israeli practices.
During the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the Wall, settlements and land confiscation in western Ramallah’s Bil’in Village, Israeli forces fired concussion grenades, gas, and steel-coated rubber bullets at demonstrators. Several were injured.
