During the week activists of the Anarchists Against the Wall initiative were involved in the struggle against transfer of Palestinians of the Sheikh Jarrah - neighborhood of Jerusalem; with the struggle in Tel Aviv mainly against harassments and expulsion of African refugees and families of "guest workers" whose children were born in Israel. We also were involved in actions in connection with struggle against the scandalous water restrictions for the Palestinians in the occupied west bank (while the colonial settlers neighbor get unrestricted amounts of water from the common sources). Friday we participated in the regular demonstrations against the separation fence and occupation in Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Um Salmuna-Muasara... and in the water convoy to Bani Zayid as well.
BIL'IN
Some 20 Israelis and 50 internationals joined a smaller than usual number of Palestinian men and women for the weekly demonstration against the separation wall. The demonstration marched chanting slogans against the annexation wall, the occupation and the arrest of Bil'in's youth and popular struggle leaders, accompanied by a marching poem written by one of the local leaders. When the demonstration reached the fence, short speeches were made in Arabic, English and French. An African-American speaker particularly engaged the crowd with his political-evangelical-panther-like speech. When a handful of protesters tried to cross the fence, they and the demonstrators behind them suffered a rain of tear gas. A Palestinian journalist who was gassed into the path between the fences was arrested by the soldiers. The demonstration then managed to regroup and chant more slogans next to the fence. A clear order given to the military by protesters to withdraw and release the prisoner was disobeyed. Just as the protesters announced the demonstration over, the shit-water cannon got in from Ni'lin, and started spraying the already putrid area with the stench of occupation. After a short round of gas, shitty water and a small number of stones thrown to disperse the demonstration dispersal weapons, the demonstrators returned to the village.
Bil'in 7-8-09 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWKydieyOis
JERUSALEM - Al Quds
Lately, the main struggle about the progress of transfer of Palestinians in the occupied parts of 1967 in the extended Jerusalem is in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood:
"After the evictions and tent demolition in Sheikh Jarrah, Al Quds, a few days ago, there will be an action to re-build the tent starting at 4pm today. All are invited to help and support". AAtW activists of Jerusalem have been involved in this struggle with the local people, internationals, and other Israeli activists.
NI'ILIN
The weekly demonstration in Nil'in started in the village's small olive grove, what is left to the village after tens of years of Israeli land grabs. Protectors marched towards the newly built fence. They dispersed there along the route of the separation fence and expressed lowdly their protest - each hir own preferred way.
The route in Ni'ilin clearly expose the sham claim of "security" reasons for the fence as in order to confiscate as much land as possible, part of the route is on a lower side of the hill. This enable the youngsters to flood the army patrol that came to harasse the demo with stones.
After a short while some demonstrators started throwing stones at the fence and at the outnumbered and strategically inferior Border Policemen who came to the scene. The latter's attempts at disbursing the demonstration with tear gas which often backfired on them, as wind carried the gas in their direction in stead of that of the demonstration.
http://awalls.org/files/images/N.preview.jpg
Eventually, when a special Border Police unit crossed the fence, demonstrators decided to call it a day and retreated to the village. No injuries or arrests were noted.
Ni'ilin Friday 7.8.2009 demo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BmTf-gddBI
UM SALMUNA - Al-Mas'ara
The previous Friday the army regiment commander of the region threatened that a cearfeu will be imposed on the village this Friday - to put end to the regular demonstrations against the separation fence and occupation. Thus, following request of the local activists a call was issued for our activists to come Thursday night to the village to enable the next day joint demonstration if the threat wil be implemented.
"The night before the demonstration military vehicles blocked the entrance of the village, while others were roaming through it. This act came after an IOF officer threatened to put the village under siege if it would continued the weekly protests.
In Al-Mas'ara today (Friday) dozens of Palestinian protestors against the apartheid Wall and the settlements were joined by groups of around 80 internationals from all over the world and some Israeli activists.
Protectors marched towards the Apartheid Wall carrying Palestinian and Fatah flags as a message to the members of Fateh from the popular resistance movement to adopt the popular resistance as strategy for the future and also as a message that unity is priority for the Palestinians. protestors marched toward their land chanting for the immediate end to the Israeli Occupation and Colonization of Palestine.
As usual, the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) put a razor wire on the road at the exit of the village and stopped the march, denying people the right to access their land. Protesters stood against the soldiers, holding speeches in Arabic, Hebrew and English. Some protesters stayed longer trying to encourage the young soldiers from serving in an occupying army."
TEL AVIV
During the week, the struggle against the deportation of refugees and families of foreign workers with children born in Israel continued. It succeeded to draw lot of supporters - including funs of the local Hapoel (the worker) soccer club. A huge banner saying: "who is not a refugee here". At first the police tried to prevent the bringing of the banner to the Stadium. The intervention of members of the directory of the club forced the retreat of the police ban. http://www.zix.co.il/images/z-1315409316.jpg
WATER convoy against thirst
Activists were arrested Wednesday night by the police which accused them that they hanged flayers declaring water stoppage in Tel Aviv in the context of water restrictions imposed in the occupied west bank. They were accused for "destruction of property" and at first even with "incitement". (http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3758179,00.html - In Hebrew).
After 5 hours they were released on bail. A post was distributed in our mailing list:
"... and many thanks to all who supported, some of which even sleeping(?) at the doors of the police station. :)"
Thursday demo was called in front of the water authority offices located in Tel Aviv.
Friday:
One hundred Israelis left Tel Aviv and Jerusalem this last Friday on a solidarity convoy to the Palestinian village of Qarawat Bani Zeid in the Ramallah district, bringing with them tens of tons of water – as the village is being slowly dehydrated by Israeli authorities.
In the village itself Israeli met with local Palestinian leadership, and together brought the water to houses throughout the village. In his speech to the crowd Fuad Arar, the village mayor, said: "Here under out feet is an enormous reservoir of water, but we are not allowed to dig wells. For the Israeli government, that would be worse than throwing bombs. Our spring, from which this village drank for many generations, is under Israeli control, and we get less than half what the village needs. In many houses there is no water in the taps since March this year. We want peace – but how can you make peace when Netanyahu decides how much water we are allowed to drink?"
http://awalls.org/files/images/W.preview.jpg
The convoy was just one part of a new campaign, which AATW share with a coalition of many other Israeli, Palestinian and International groups, NGOs and parties, in an attempt to break the water siege on Palestine. For a longer report of the convoy and a list of the Israeli partners press here http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/events/1249741341 An Israeli media report and video of the convoy can be found here: VIDEO FROM QARAWAT BANI ZAYID http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/9/1534180
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