A non-violent demonstration took place on Friday midday in Artas village, in the southern part of the Bethlehem district. roughly sixty Palestinian, Israeli and international activists gathered in an area where, two weeks ago, a demolition executed by the Israeli military had taken place and trees belonging to the Abu Swai family had been demolished.
Local youth threw stones and boulders into a ditch, where construction of a sewage system for nearby Efrata settlement is set to begin in the near future. Many protestors stood on a large mound of dirt where they chanted slogans and waved Palestinian flags.
Around twenty soldiers watched the demonstration from afar, but did not attempt to disrupt the action or even speak to the participants. The demonstration ended less than an hour later, when the protestors retreated. No injuries or kidnappings were reported.
