Surveillance tower occupied and 24 injured in Bil'in

20/04/2007

Source : AATW

For three days this week, Bil’in hosted the Second International Conference on non violent struggle, where hundreds of supporters from around the world attended. A press conference, a demonstration and a direct action were planned to celebrate its last day.

While the press conference took place next to the wall, a group of about 10 Israelis and internationals managed to get on the other side of the wall to a 40 meter high tower, on which there is a camera to keep a permanent eye on the village. A Puerto Rican activist, Tito Kayak, climbed up the tower and attached a Palestinian flag at the top of the tower. For more than three hours, Tito stayed at the top of the tower, while the army was desperately trying to find the keys to the gate to access the tower.

During this time, a mass demonstration of about 800 people marched towards the wall. The demonstration was attacked about a kilometer away from the wall and the soldiers. The army used scores of teargas and rubber coated steel bullets to disperse the demonstration.

After hours of breaking up and re-gathering, the protesters dispersed, 24 of them injured. Amongst the injured were Irish Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Mairead Corrigan Maguire and Musa’ed To’ameh, British Channel 4 producer, who was shot in the head with a rubber bullet. He was first taken to the Ramallah hospital and later had to be transferred to ShareyTsedek Hospital in Jerusalem due to his deteriorated condition.