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One Italian Solidarity Activist Injured in Bil'in Weekly Demonstration
September 5, 2008
by Abdullah Abu Rahma
Coordinator of Bil’in Popular Committee
Despite the hot summer and the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, a protest joined by internationals and Israeli peace activists marched from Bil’in after the Friday prayer. The protesters chanted and called for the end of the occupation, settlement building and the release of Palestinian detainees.
Today is the first anniversary of the decision from the so-called "Israeli Supreme Court of Justice" to move the path of the wall in Bil’in. On the 4th of Sept last year, the Israeli court ruled that the wall in Bilin should be moved back to a distance of 500 meters from the Israeli settlement, which is built on Bil’in’s land. This decision returns about 1100 Dunums of land to the farmers and stops future settlement building. The Bil’in Committee Against the Wall announced that the village will continue their non-violent resistance until the wall is removed and the court decision is implemented.
The protesters chanted slogans and called for national unity among the Palestinians until they reached the wall where they army had set up a razor wire to block the protest. When the protesters tried to go behind it, the army fired tear gas and sound grenades. Dozens suffered from inhalation of tear gas and one Italian woman, Frederica, was injured when she was hit with a tear gas canister.
Demonstrators reached the gate in the apartheid fence and managed to remove it. The Israeli Army responded by spraying activists with water containing blue dye.
