http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060120/wl_mideast_afp/mideastbarrierdemo_060120155930BILIN, West Bank (AFP)
Several demonstrators were lightly injured as Israeli troops broke up a weekly protest against
Israel's West Bank separation barrier and made arrests, witnesses said.
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Palestinian, Israeli and foreign activists had walked to a site where work on a portion of the barrier is in progress on land belonging to Bilin village.
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Peace activists and Palestinians demonstrate at least once a week in Bilin against the separation barrier, which Israel insists is necessary to prevent infiltration by West Bank militants.
The Palestinians say the controversial project is an attempt to grab their land and undermine the viability of their promised state.
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Also: Gush Shalom reports
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/enNot copyrighted material follows:
HAMAS FLAGS NEXT TO ISRAELI FLAGS IN BIL'IN!
It was quite an unusual sight: Israeli peace activists and Hamas militants, together with members of all the other Palestinian parties, marched last Friday side by side in a demonstration against the Fence in Bil'in."I see this as another sign that Hamas can be included in peace negotiations with Israel and that it is possible to get its agreement to the peace agreement that will be signed," Uri Avnery of Gush Shalom said.
This time, the demonstration was accompanied by music: dozens of Israeli and Palestinian activists dispersed along the Fence and beat with stones on an iron security railing that runs along it, producing a rhythm that could be heard for many miles, including the settlement Modi'in Illit that is being built on the land belonging to Bil'in.
Thousands took part in the demonstration, which also marked the climax of the Palestinian election campaign. Senior leaders of all the Palestinian parties marched at the head of the demonstration, in which almost 400 Israeli peace activists from all over the country participated. The colorful posters of the parties on the walls in the village added to the event.
In spite of the fact that this - like all the demonstrations in Bil'in - was non-violent, it was attacked with tear gas and stun grenades by the soldiers who had been waiting for it. However, many protesters succeeded in breaking through the line of soldiers and go round the Fence, at a place where its construction has not yet been completed. While this happened, much violence was used against them, demonstrators were beaten, kicked and thrown to the ground. Yonatan Pollack of "Anarchists Against Fences" was choked by soldiers and dragged on the stony ground.
Much more
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en___________________________________________________________
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/01/20/thousands-challenge-israeli-apartheid-in-bilin/International Solidarity Movement report.
Today, Friday the 20th of January, candidates from all Palestinian political parties and factions, including Hamas, Fatah, Al Mubadara, Democracy Front, Independent and others came to the villagers of Bil’in. There they were joined by over 300 Israeli activists, 100 Internationals and many Palestinians from the surrounding area. It was one of the most impressive gatherings of Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals in Bil’in, in what is now close to a year-long struggle against the theft of their lands by the Apartheid Wall.
At 12:30 PM, close to 2000 people marched through the lands of Bil’in to the construction site of the Apartheid Wall. At the site were over fifty Israeli Military, Police, and Border Policemen. They became violent towards the crowd very quickly, using their batons, sound bombs, against unarmed demonstrators.
More...