Hundreds of Palestinian residents of Bil’in village, and dozens of Israeli and international peace activists, held their weekly protest against Israel’s annexation Wall in the village of Bil’in, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, and performed a street theatre piece symbolizing the siege and Wall that isolates them from each other and from their orchards.
Abdullah Abu Rahma, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in village, told the IMEMC in an exclusive interview that the protesters carried a 2-meter high iron representation of the siege, and surrounded it with 2.5 meter of barbed-wires. In the center of the symbolic representation, a Palestinian man stood carrying a Palestinian flag.
Four residents carried the symbolic representation, they symbolically represented the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Israel and the United Nations and their decision to cut financial aid to Palestine.
“We will remain here, on our land, in spite of the siege and injustice”, Abu Rahma stated, “We are imprisoned here behind this huge concrete wall that is separating us from our orchards”.
The protest was carried out by 250 residents and 50 Israeli and international peace activists. After heading towards the construction site, the protesters were stopped by the soldiers who stationed themselves behind the the iron gate which leads to orchards isolated behind the Wall.
Soldiers used loud speakers to stop the protesters and demanded they leave the area, Abu Rahma added.
Later on, troops fired gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets at several residents who hurled bottles filled with chicken and sheep feces.
A French reporter (not identified) and his Palestinian colleague, Mizna Shahabeen, were injured after inhaling gas fired by the army. One Palestinian child, identified as Talal Mustafa Khateeb, 5, was also injured after falling on the ground when he ran away from the soldiers out of fear.
On Thursday, soldiers detained Awni Bornat, and Issa Abu Rahma, both 35, after they attempted to reach the shack which was built by the residents and peace activists behind the Wall.
The shack, which is officially licensed by Israeli authorities, is located 500 meters behind the Wall, and 100 meters from an illegal Israeli settlement outpost.
Two days ago, Israeli soldiers started operating a monitoring camera which is installed on a monitoring tower overlooking at the village’s houses and the orchards.
“This camera monitors us in our houses, it violates our rights, they can take pictures of every corner in the village”, Abu Rahma added.
