Approximately six hundred Palestinian residents and one hundred Israeli and international peace activists along with several members of the Palestinian Legislative Council protested on Friday against the annexation Wall in the West Bank village of Bil’in, near Ramallah. Army met the peaceful protest with excessive violence injuring several protesters.
Abdullah Abu Rahma, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall informed the IMEMC that members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Jihad Tmeily, Moheeb Awwad, Mustafa Barghouthi, and Qais Abdul-Karim along with Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, Mohammad Barakeh participated in the protest.
Also, Dr. Sary Nosseiba, head of the Al Quds University, and Rafiq Al Husseiny, head of the President’s Office, participated in the protest.
After the Friday prayers at the villages’ mosque, Basel Mansour, spoke on behalf of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in, and slammed Israel’s policy of annexation and settlement expansion.
The protesters, marching towards the construction site of the Wall, called on the Palestinians to be united and reject the internal clashes and conflicts, and to concentrate on the struggle against the occupation.
“Upon arriving to the Wall gate, soldiers violently attacked the protesters and hit several residents with batons injuring nine. Also, four Israeli peace activists, including a reporter, were injured”, Abu Rahma added.
All of the injured were treated by medics on the scene except one resident who was injured in his head, and was transferred to Ramallah governmental hospital.
On Friday evening, Israeli troops invaded Bil’in and fired gas bombs and rubber coated bullets at the resident’s houses. Following the invasion, dozens of youth clashed with the soldiers and hurled stones at them.
Abu Rahma said that the army is trying to bar the residents, and peace activists, from holding their protests against the Wall and settlement expansion in the occupied territories.
“The army always meets our protests with excessive violence, and tries to stop us from protesting against the Wall and settlements”, Abu Rahma stated, “They are repeatedly attacking our village, and firing at the houses in an attempt to terrify the residents and stop their peaceful protests”.
