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Israel-Palestine, the Genie is out of the bottle, there is no return after the Arab Spring
mashriq / arabia / iraq |
community struggles |
news report
Wednesday July 27, 2011 03:19 by Ilan S. - AAtW, A-infos, Matzpen ilan at shalif dot com Tel Aviv
It seems the regional uprising of the people in the Arab countries injected rebellion energy all over the world. It is felt in the villages struggling against the separation fence, robbery of lands by colonialist settlers and the occupation. It has ignited within Israel a successful consumer strike after a steep rise in price of cottage cheese. It made the hospital internist doctors resist a compromise in agreement after a hundred-day plus partial strike and starting some direct actions and demos... forcing already the retreat of the medical doctors association from the compromise. It also started a widespread rebellion focused mainly on housing but with a wider spectrum from the beginning. In nine days from a start of a dozen tents in centra Tel Aviv to the 2,000-tent camp there and many other loca ones throughout the country, and from a few hesitant direct actions to a huge 200,000-march. (In the last two days, in spite of proposed state compromises, both the housing struggle and that of the intern doctors' have expanded and intensified.) [Italiano] Al-Araqeeb
After 25 demolition of the village in the last year, the joint struggle persist.
Beit Ummar
Saturday demonstration 23/7/11 The weekly peaceful demonstration in Beit-Ummar set off outside the village next to the agriculture lands and Carmei-Tzur settlement. We were about 40 people, Palestinians, internationals and Israelis and we started walking up the hill through the walkway and then we turned into the vineyard and walked fast trying to get as close as possible to the settlement fence. We were stopped by dozen of soldiers that use a lot of violent to push us away. After few minutes many more IOF soldiers joined and use violent to bump us far from the settlement houses, they also arrested two Israelis, Some soldiers including the commander cursed us using sexist and homophobic words in addition to the regular derogatory names.
After half an hour we left the area, still violently pushed by some soldiers. The demonstrators who arrested earlier were realest later but one of them was taken to the police station in Kiryat Arba.
A comrade on facebook: "I went to a demo in Beit Ommar. Got the bruise on my ass to prove it".
Bil'in
Some 15 Israelis and about 100 international activists of several European groups joined the Palestinian demonstration against the wall, the land grab in Bil'in and occupation. The protesters marched from the village center to the Abu Lamun oak reserve, and from there along the new wall, while those who remained at the reserve suffered a brief shock and gas canisters attack. The marchers demanded that the soldiers open the gate leading to their lands (now covered with real estate instead of olive trees), and symbolically dismantled part of the wire fence protecting the concrete wall. An army jeep drove toward the protesters, shot tear gas canisters, and was answered with stones. The gas canisters also started some bush fires, which, together with the gas and scorching heat, forced the demonstrators away.
Budrus
there will be a demonstration in Budrus tomorrow (Monday 25-7-11)
Hebron region
Hebron district has seen a wave of soldiers violence in the past few months. Palestinian residents are being taken into military watch towers and beaten inside. Some needed medical attention and had their arms broken. Others had rifles pointed to their heads and stun grenades thrown between their legs. We also know of a Palestinian who was injured this Monday in his leg by rubber coated steel fired by an army officer in the entrance to his village.
For a video from one of incidents Israeli activists participated click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plnA68_ZSAQ
Friday 22 July, Protest Against Army Violence in Hebron district
Nabi Saleh
Friday, Activists reporting around 25 people detained today in Nabi Saleh by Israeli Occupation Forces.
"Five Palestinians were arrested inside houses this afternoon in Nabi Saleh by Israeli soldiers at gunpoint". Live ammunition has been fired by Israeli Occupation Forces today in Nabi Saleh. Fortunately, no-one has been hurt.
25 of those arrested were released. 2 Palestinians are kept in custody.
Pictures By International communities against Israel http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.25468143120883...80298
Friday, July 22, 2011 Nabi Saleh - Affidavit
"Around 12:00 I heard the soldiers shouting "Stop". I stopped and sat down. The soldiers asked me then, where are my friends. I said I do not know. They asked more questions and answered them. They ordered me to come with them and when I answered I refuse they cuffed me and dragged me along.
As I was dragged I twisted loose the cuffs. I tried to get handcuffs of as I did not think it is justified to put them on me. I was not violent towards them and my resistance was passive. As I was dragged my camera was broken.
After the questioning even 4 soldiers could not drag me. One soldier carried me as he bent over me and twisted my head. They took me to the check-post at the entrance to the village and put cuffs on my legs. Because I twisted myself around even in with these cuffs, they handcuffed me stronger.
I stayed about two hours with handcuffs and felt that they stop the blood circulation.
The handcuffs really hurt and I was afraid I'd get gangrene. Then an Ethiopian soldier named Shlo loosened the handcuffs. I stayed with them for another 3-4 hours.
The soldiers gave me a bottle of water. They took my ID and my sandals. I argued that in fact I did not break them closed military zone order since I stopped according to their order.
I tried to release the handcuffs with a lighter and when noticed it they threatened they would take the rest of the content of my hand bag.
The experience was humiliating for me and I felt that that forcing me to ask soldiers to ease the leg cuffs, to enable me for going to the bathroom or to loosen the handcuffs was an act to strengthen their sense of control. For me it was my honor to keep to myself.
I did not feel comfortable going to the bathroom with five men when my legs were cuffed.
I did not respond to the soldiers when they talk to me. Now and then I heard a series of gunshots and explosions from the village.
Three times the soldier Shlo told me I would be released within an hour but it did not happen ...
Between five and six o'clock I have seen two military vehicles in which two Palestinians were bound and blindfolded. The soldiers put them down faces to a rock and hit or pushed them with the barrel of a gun to their head.
During the trip the soldiers teased me verbally, insisted on calling the village's spring
with the settler name Ein Meir and commented that my name is the the same as that of someone who was killed by Arabs.
I happened to see the way the two Palestinian activists who were waiting for the return of identity cards - that were taken from them were, treated. As I was released I asked to join them but the soldiers warned me not to return to the village."
David Reeb video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSYOgtbS4sA
Electrones Libres http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySRxUYnDS4I
Ni'ilin
Around 50 villagers and 20 internationals (and 3 Israelis) attended the weekly protest against the wall in Ni'lin. the march arrived at the wall after the noon prayers. a few tires were set on fire and a couple even were thrown over the wall. soldiers fired teargas and a small number of youths threw stones. No injuries were recorded aside from some tear gas inhalation.
Qadum
Israel Puterman video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8wRsPq8ZL0
Sheikh Jarrah Demonstration 22/7/2011
Mario Savio http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.23439655659499...46057
Tel Aviv
At the beginning of the week a project of activists of the anarchists against the wall was started at the southern end of the Rothschild boulevard was started but was short live.
During the week some actions were taken not far from the dwelling protest camp at the northern part of the Rotshild boulevard by the camp dwellers.
Saturday late evening
About 20 thousands participated in a huge social justice demonstration in the center of Tel-Aviv called by the local dwelling protest campers - started with few dozens 10 days ago, demanding affordable housing and social justice. [Media report "tens of thousands"]. Activist of others locations of struggle in Israel joined the demo. Part of the local anarchists - including the anarchists against the wall marched as a block with flags, placards and chants.
We marched from the Rothschild boulevard where the already 2000 tent campers dwell now on the way to the museum square - who was too small to include all of us. Most participants were chanting all the one hour march. Some speeches where carried at the square. When the tent dwellers and others who live in that direction walked back following the demonstration, hundreds of protesters blocked the intersection of Kaplan and Ibn Gvirol Streets - a major junction in central Tel Aviv. People used various materials available to barricade. They chanted among others: “Revolution! Revolution! Revolution” and “Non-violence! Non-violence!”.
After long delay police started to confront the roads blockers - detained many and arrested some of them.
Police did manage to clear the crowd from the middle of the road, enabling the intersection to open to traffic, but protesters remained close by, bursting onto the road from time to time.
The protesters then attempted to march back up Dizengoff street to the nearest police station, in solidarity with their detained comrades. Police repeatedly blocked and gradually thinned out the march, using very limited force and selective arrests, before the protesters eventually got tired and returned to camp.
Many of the protesters were very clearly new to all this and did not have any background in demonstrations. For some of the ordinary Tel Avivians, this was clearly the first time they blocked a street in their lives.
About 200 detained during the confrontations. More than 40 were arrested. Most of them were released during the night on signed bail and condition of 14 days distancing. seven comrades who refused these conditions were jailed and brought to court Sunday. Four were bailed and banned from the camp for a week, one released unconditionally, one was baned for 30 days. Another arrestee accused that he threw a smoke bomb remain in custody for additional day for interrogation. Few activists of the anarchists against the wall were among the arrestees. Just seen them in TV news report of the court procession.
Tent city protest in Tel Aviv, July 24 2011 (photo: Oren Ziv/activestills) http://972mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/tents1.jpg
Some of the slogans in the 20 thousands march:
demand for public housing
the market is free – are you?
Danger, construction – for the rich
Bibi, wake up – women are more valuable
The people want public housing
Welfare state now
The people are calling for social justice
The answer to privatization? Revolution!
We’re all together
We call to fire Netanyanu
The government is against the people and the people are against the government
The people demand, social justice
When the government against the people - the people are against the government
Tahrir square is here!
http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/1/1843477
Active Stiles - pictures of last Tel Aviv demonstration and other demonstrations.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/activestills/5939466890/in...tbox/
Videos
Message of solidarity from Spain M15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9lnrZdyZRc
Zohar Kaniel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaE_fOYfUS8
Dror Zal video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fdLbN_H_dk
Lior Ben Eliahu http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1817144039378....42697
Eran Vered clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FABTcI0vKt8
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See http://awalls.org
See Previous reports at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com
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