Bil'in : 14 injured 1 arrested

07/04/2007

Source : Awalls

In Bilin, Friday’s demonstration marked child’s day. In the words of a 2004 report by "Defense for children Rights- Palestine section" which is just as true today.

"Since the start of the Intifada in September 2000, not one Palestinian child has been left untouched by Israel’s continued brutal occupation: children too young to walk or speak have been shot dead by Israeli forces, others have seen friends and family members killed or injured, watched as their homes have been destroyed and parents humiliated, been beaten and tortured and thrown into prison without charges or trial. Physically and psychologically, socially and educationally their young lives are systematically being destroyed."

Every aspect of Palestinian life is likewise touched by the occupation and the its marking is an act of resistance. On this child day children from the village attended the demonstration along with their parents and older brothers. For its part the IDF marked Palestinian child day by shooting 7 children with rubber bullets. About 7 other demonstrators were also injured by sound bombs, baton blows and rubber bullets.

As far as the legal persecution of Israelis activists, child’s day was a day like any other. Jonatan Pollak, who was handed a suspended sentence several weeks ago was arrested on suspicion of illegal assembly. By the soldiers own admission he was arrested BECAUSE of the suspended sentence, not because he acted in a particularly criminal way even according to their own warped standards. Pollack was kept in jail overnight at the insistence of the head of the Jerusalem district attorneys office. He will be arraigned Saturday.

Update: Jonathan was released be a judge with no limiting conditions, which is clear criticism of the discriminatory arrest.