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Israeli military forces attack Bil'in's Freedom Flotilla ship for the second time
04/06/2010
by Bil’in Popular Committee
Photo: Iyas Abu Rahma
A large number of Israeli occupation army soldiers (IOF) again attacked The Freedom Flotilla in the village of Bil’in. During the weekly march, seven people, including three journalists were injured, three activists were arrested, and there were dozens of cases of suffocation as a result of the inhalation of tear gas.
Before the start of the march, participants held a minute of silence and mourning and read verses for the souls of martyrs of The Freedom Flotilla to Break the Siege on Gaza. Dr. Rateb Abu Rahmeh, media coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and settlements, said in his speech, « We stand today in honor of the martyrs of The Freedom Flotilla and send salutations to all who participated and organized and funded The Freedom Flotilla. We commend Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey, Kuwait, Ireland, Sweden, Algeria, Greece. We demand more participation from the Arab countries, international officials and popular movements in order to enlarge support for The Freedom Flotilla 2 ».
The Popular Committee Against the Wall and settlements condemns the Israeli brutal aggression against The Freedom Flotilla which demonstrates Israeli state terrorism, its crimes and its clear violation of international and humanitarian law. The Popular Committee calls for the world to consider Israelis responsible for the massacre of activists on The Freedom Flotilla and that, as war criminals, they should be prosecuted internationally. They further asked the United Nations and all international organizations to move effectively to end the occupation and to protect the Palestinian people, and to allow them all their rights. They demand the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The Palestinian activist Huwaida Arraf, chairwoman of Free Gaza movement, and Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, Jamil Barghouti, deputy secretary of Fatah of Ramallah participated in the march called by the Popular Committee against the wall in Bil’in, as well as many members of Palestinian National Parties, the inhabitants of the village of Bil’in, international and Israeli activists.
Demonstrators marched in the village chanting calls for national unity and the rejection of differences, as well as slogans in support of The Freedom Flotilla. They praised Turkey and the countries that participated in and funded the Freedom Flotilla, and chanted slogans against the occupation, the wall and the settlements.
The march was united around a 9 meters ship made as a symbol of The Freedom Flotilla. The demonstrators marched towards the wall where the Israeli military occupation forces were prepared behind concrete blocks beyond the wall. The soldiers began firing stun grenades, metal-coated rubber bullets and tear gas canisters, as demonstrators tried to cross towards the land behind the wall which is owned by the townspeople.
The IOF attacked the symbolic ship and chased the protesters among the olive groves to the outskirts of the village.
Fadi Jayyousi (30 years) cameraman for Palestine TV was injured seriously in all parts of his body and the army broke his cameras in full. A Norwegian journalist called Karina Lapua (42 years), the cameraman of Popular Committee Haitham Al-Khatib (34 years) who works for B’Tselem, George Khoury (32 years) photographer for Arabiyya TV, Jabber Abo Rahma (22 years), Jadallah al-Khatib (50 years) and Soleyman Khattab (20 years) were also wounded by tear gas canisters directly fired towards them, and there were dozens of cases of suffocation from tear gas.
Three activists were arrested : Huwaida Arraf, chairwoman of Free Gaza movement who was on board of The Flotilla, the activist from Bilin, Ashraf Abu Rahma (29 years), and the Israeli activist Ilan Shelef (72 years).
Large farming areas belonging to a many people of the village of Bil’in was burned as a result of the firing of tear gas against demonstrators.
A delegation of 12 from Brazil were visiting the village of Bil’in and participated in the weekly march. They had a meeting at the headquarters of the International Solidarity Movement in Bil’in with the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlement, heard of the experience of The Bil’in Popular Resistance over the past five years, its achievements and the effectiveness of international solidarity.
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