Solidarity With Bil’in: Between Football Games And Tear Gas
09/06/2008
Source : Palestine Monitor
Hundreds of demonstrators, both Palestinian and international, gathered in Bi’lin on Friday to peacefully protest the construction of the Apartheid Wall and the confiscation of Palestinian lands.
The day began with a football game in an olive grove on a hill in Bi’lin just outside an Israeli settlement, a form of peaceful protest adopted by citizens of Bi’lin. The game came to a screeching halt however, when Israeli forces fired tear gas onto the makeshift field. Players and spectators scattered, seeking refuge in the town. Medical personal administered oxygen and handed out alcohol to those affected by the gas.
As the protest leaders regrouped the scattered villagers, internationals from France, Italy, Canada, Holland, the USA and many other countries were arriving to take part in the peaceful protest scheduled later that afternoon. The most notable international presence was that of Luisa Morgantini, Vice President of the European Parliament.
The villagers regrouped and marched with the internationals to the gate of the fence that surrounds Bi’lin. Awaiting their arrival was a squad of Israeli soldiers armed with riot gear and live ammunition. Protestors chanted "Free Palestine" in Arabic and English.
With no warning or provocation, Israeli forces threw tear gas bombs into the midst of the crowd, driving away and scattering the protestors. After the smoke cleared everyone returned to gate and continued chanting. Again, without provocation, soldiers fired tear gas canisters directly into the crowd, barely missing the peaceful demonstrators and causing small fires. The close calls with the canisters was convincing enough to drive away most of the demonstrators, with good reason, as tear gas canisters have been known to cause serious injury or death when fired at close range.
The crowd retreated back onto the hill and into an olive grove where children from the village were throwing stones at Israeli military vehicles. Israeli soldiers continued gassing to drive the children out from the cover of the trees. As the villagers and children slowly retreated up the hillside, Israeli forces made another display of their new weapon: a battery capable of launching 16 canisters of tear gas at one time. The cloud produced engulfed the whole hillside. A crowd of villagers and journalists gathered just out of range, red eyed and coughing. The bravest of the group pressed forward once more to face the onslaught of two more shots from the 16-barreled battery. Thus ended the day in Bi’lin.
