Friday afternoon, Approximately 400 protesters, including 70 Israeli and international peace activists marched in Bil’in village, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, against the Israeli annexation Wall and the policy of siege and isolation of the Palestinian territories.
Several protesters wearing clothes resembling the flags of Israel, USA, U.K, the European Union and the United Nations, carried a 3-meter rounded metal ring resembling the siege imposed over the occupied territories and the decision by the United States and several western countries to freeze all aide to the Palestinian government.
Inside the big ring, the protesters stood and placed smaller rings on their heads to symbolize the siege and Israeli procedures that are suffocated the Palestinian economy and people, and in the middle of the ring, stood a Palestinian wearing clothes the colors of the Palestinian flag (Red, Black, green and white”.
Abdullah Abu Rahma, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in reported that as the protesters headed towards a construction site of the Wall, troops installed barbed wires in the street and closed the main iron gate of the Wall barring them from crossing.
“Dozens of protesters managed to cross to the other side”, Abu Rahma told the IMEMC, “But the soldiers violently attacked them”.
Four Israeli peace activists, one Palestinian activist of the International Solidarity Movement, and one American were arrested.
Later on, the protesters headed back to Bil’in but the soldiers chased them and clashed with several youth at the entrance of the village.
On Thursday at night, soldiers invaded Bil’in and broke into the houses of Abdullah Abu Rahma and his brothers, and searched the houses; several international peace activists are staying at the house of Abu Rahma.
The soldiers carried lists that included names of Palestinians from the village, and arrested two youth. The arrestees were identified as Yasser Maher Ash’al, 15, and Tareq Shawqi Al Khateeb, 19 years old.
Clashes were reported after the youth placed rocks in the streets and hurled stones at the invading forces.
