Against Israeli Apartheid

In Bil'in it was the 131th Friday demonstration against the separation fence and
occupation. In late morning we marched as usual - Palestinians of the village
and the region, many internationals as it is summer vacation now, and Israelis
of the anarchists against the wall initiative. On the road to the gate of the
separation fence we chanted as usual. When we arrived at the foot of the hill
the gate is on its top, we set down not to give the Israeli state forces the the
excuse to start fire on us. After few minutes, individuals of the group of young
adults who join the demo but resent the nonviolent mode of it "succeeded to
provoke" the Israeli state force who started to shower us with tear gas.

The majority of the people dispersed among the olive trees slowly retreating
towards the village. However, tens of us were not deterred and stayed near the
separation fence and the soldiers who failed to get rid of them as they could
not use the tear gas in too short range. So, the commander ordered the arrest of
few Palestinian and international activists. (When the demonstrators are about a
meter or so near the state forces among the trees, it is very hard for them to
drive the demonstrators away by gas or by physical violence.)

After the soldiers at the front wasted most of their stock of tear gas, the
demonstrators returned again and again till the soldiers replenished their stock.

Teams of state forces that advanced up to the building area of the village and
used sooting with bullets covered with rubber (mainly against stone throwing
kids) failed to put end to the demonstration.

After about two hours the village popular comity for the struggle announced the
end of the demo - resuming it in a second wave at noon after the Friday prayer.

After the second wave ended too, the activists who were detained during the
first wave of demonstration were released.

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At the south, the relatively new front there were two demonstrations. The
participants as usually in the joint actions of the last few years: local
Palestinians from the village(s) involved and the region, international
activists - mostly of the ISM, and Israelis - mostly of the AATW initiative.

South Bethlehem - Palestinians, internationals, and Israeli activists (mostly of
the AATW) in the persistent joint struggle against the separation fence.

The first demonstration was in Um Salmuna.

The participants marched toward the construction site of the separation fence
undisturbed. However, when they damaged the fence around the construction site
of the separation fence, the Israeli state force arrested one Israeli activist
charging him for the damage.

The second demonstration was at noon at the Walage village.

In that Friday demonstration there was no confrontation with the Israeli state
forces.



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The week end joint struggle in the south continued in Saturday too...

http://awalls.org Saturday evening, report with pictures:

30 Meters of the wall dismantled in Beit Mirsim 11/08/2007

Today, Palestinian, Israeli, and International activists dismantled a section of
the Israeli separation barrier at the village of Beit Mirsim.

This action is the second of such actions in the past two weeks, following a
similar action in Surif

Beit Mirsim is a tiny Palestinian village in the Southern West Bank. It has been
known as an archaeological site and as a site of a war crime committed in 1967
by the army.

Today, the criminals who destroyed the original village of Beit Mirsim walk
free. So do the bureaucrats at the ‘Civil Administration’ who prevent its
reconstruction and order new homes destroyed, along with many others who embody
the “persistent Israeli urge to “clear” Palestinians away” (Amira Hass “crimes
of war, destruction of civilian property”). In contrast, those who tear down the
criminal wall are in jeopardy from both Israeli courts and military.

No one knows that jeopardy better than the people of Beit Mirsim: the regularity
with which collective punishment is meted out in the West Bank and the crimes
the IDF is capable of. Still, they persist living on their lands after seeing
their village destroyed and despite decades of hardship courtesy of the army.

Today they took initiative in their struggle for survival.

Together with Israeli and International supporters they physically dismantled
the cage which constructed for them by the Israeli ‘Ministry Of Defense’ has
constructed for them.. In that, they follow the countless examples of
Palestinians living near the wall.

Whenever and wherever there is an opportunity Palestinians will simply dismantle
the cage they are in.


Media report: Leftists, Palestinians damage separation fence
Anarchists Against the Wall activists, local residents of Hebron vicinity
village cut 30 meters of barbed wire, electric fence

Thirty Palestinian and Anarchists Against the Wall activists damaged the
separation fence near Hebron Saturday afternoon.

The activists managed to cut 30 meters of the barbed wire and electric fence
before security forces arrived at the scene. The activists ceased their
activity, and no arrests were carried out.

Activists cut separation fence

A source in the left-wing organization said that similar incidents have occurred
many times over the years. “We will continue to do this, and join the
Palestinian resistance to the occupation,” he said.

“The fence is a political tool designed to steal as much land from the
Palestinians as possible, and to ensure the Israel has strategic control over
the Palestinians. We oppose the fence wherever it stands, and we intend to
continue damaging it.”

http://mishtara.org/blog/?p=228