Residents of Bil’in, west of Ramallah, Israeli and international peace activists intend to commemorate the late Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat, on Friday marking the first anniversary of his death, the International Solidarity Movement Said.
President Arafat died November 11, 2004. He was surrounded by the Israeli army in his Ramallah headquarters since December 2001 until his sickness and death.
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“The residents will wear masks of Arafat, Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela”, Abdullah Abu Rahma, coordination of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, told the IMEMC.
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“Those figures are peace activists, they called for liberation”, Abu Rahma reported, “We follow their lead in our peaceful protests against the Wall, against occupation until liberation and independence”
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The protest will take off on Friday at noon directly after Friday prayers at the village’s mosque, Abu Rahma added.
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Usually there are 5 -10 peace activists continuous present in the village, participating in the peaceful protests against the Separation Wall and managing reports and calls to the press.
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50 Israelis and 30 international peace activists are expected to participate today in the protest in Bil’in.
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Over the last ten months, Bil’in has launched an ongoing non-violent campaign against the wall supported by hundreds of Israeli and International activists, and met by violence and collective punishment from the Israeli army. ÂÂ
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The current route of the Wall will annex 60% of Bil’in’s agricultural land, and expand the settlement of Modi’in Elite. Plans for Modi’in Elite’s expansion have yet to be approved by the Israeli government.
