Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Palestine-Israel, Budrus, Media, 35 activists arrested 07/12/04

Israeli army and gendarmes arrested 35 israeli activists participating in peaceful [nonviolent] demonstration against the separation fence [the Apartheid Wall] - so reported public Radio station and on line daily. The demonstration was against the wall and in protest of the harsh repression of the Budrus people involved in the nonviolent demonstration against the separation fence - see (en) Israel-Palestine, A Village Stands for their Rights: Civil Disobedience in Budrus http://www.ainfos.ca/04/dec/ainfos00026.html The stated reason for arrest the authority gave was: "entrance to area disregarding the declaration by authorities that it is closed military zone." Two of the arrested are to appear Thursday in Jerusalem courthouse for the same "offense" at previous demo.

The arrested refused to reveal their names and when asked replied: "All of us are Ahmad Awad - the name of local Budrus activist in the nonviolent struggle against the Apartheid Wall, who was administratively arrested a month ago for that reason alone.

In the demonstration that started at 13:00 participated about 100 israelis of the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative and of other left organizations, 30 international volunteers and about local villagers. They approached the construction site of the fence near Budrus and stand in a vigil near the working Bulldozers. One of the activists was hit in her head by a tear gas grenade. When the report was distributed by Roiters, the army was assaulting the people and the village with tear gas grenades (including shooting an ambulance).

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