Published on Jun 2, 2012 by Nilinvillage
www.nilin-village.org
On the fourth anniversary of what became the start of the popular struggle in Ni'lin over 350 protestors, Palestinians, Israelis and internationals gathered to again march towards the wall. As the struggle against Israeli segregation politics enters its fifth year the determination of the struggle remain as strong as ever.
After the Friday prayer protestors gathered in the olive groves to a demonstration named The March of Loyalty in commemoration to the five martyrs who were brutally murdered by Israeli military during peaceful protests against the segregation wall. The martyrs were remembered in the slogans chanted by the demonstration as it proceeded towards the wall with Palestinian flags raised. The demonstration called for the unity of the Palestinian political fractions in the struggle against Israeli occupation. Slogans were also dedicated to the prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli prisons, some of which have refused food for almost 80 days.
When the demonstration reached the segregation wall the soldiers were already preparing the skunk water truck to flush the demonstration with foul smelling water. Despite this some of the protestors reached the gate where they burnt car tires to express the sadness of their people and their defiance against the wall in the black color of the soot.
A speech was delivered by one of the protestors against the Israeli occupation and theft of land, condemning the recent settler attack on Ni'lin farmers. Last Wednesday settlers from Hashmonaim (an Israeli colony built on Ni'lin land) started throwing stones at farmers trying to reach their land on the other side of the wall. The settlers drove them away with gun fire while cursing at the farmers.
During the speech the soldiers continued to fire tear gas at the protestors to disperse the demonstration. A 14 year old child was injured and dozens suffered from tear gas inhalation. As so many times before the soldiers were hiding in the fields around the wall in order to arrest protestors but this time they were unsuccessful.
Since 1967 the village of Ni'lin has lost most of its land (only 7000 dunums remain of the 58000 that originally made up the land of the village. On the confiscated land five illegal colonies have been built, surrounding Ni'lin on all sides but to the west. The apartheid road 446 also serves to cut the village in half. From 2004 to 2008 the village held up the construction of the apartheid wall being built all across the West Bank. Over 1500 dunums that otherwise would have been confiscated was saved.
The construction of the wall marked the beginning of an intense struggle in Ni'lin where military brutality, curfews and internationally declared illegal weapons have been implemented to suppress the peaceful demonstrations. 153 villagers have been seriously injured by live bullets fired at critical points in their bodies and more than 650 have been seriously injured by rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas canisters. Thousands of others have been mildly injured and two people also lost their eye sight after being shot with rubber coated steel bullets. American activist Tristan Anderson was shot in the head with a high velocity tear gas canisters and spent more than one and a half years in hospital. Five people have been killed, among them a ten year old boy called Ahmad Mousa, who was shot in the head.
Despite the harsh repression the people of Ni'lin have continues their peaceful struggle with strengthened determination and have even managed to tear down segments of the wall. The wall presently consists of three barriers in Ni'lin: an electric fence, a concrete wall and a barb wire barrier but the struggle of this small and unknown village is still going strong.
The segregation wall will fall, just like all others, and the illegal Zionist occupation will end.
On the fourth anniversary of what became the start of the popular struggle in Ni'lin over 350 protestors, Palestinians, Israelis and internationals gathered to again march towards the wall. As the struggle against Israeli segregation politics enters its fifth year the determination of the struggle remain as strong as ever.
After the Friday prayer protestors gathered in the olive groves to a demonstration named The March of Loyalty in commemoration to the five martyrs who were brutally murdered by Israeli military during peaceful protests against the segregation wall. The martyrs were remembered in the slogans chanted by the demonstration as it proceeded towards the wall with Palestinian flags raised. The demonstration called for the unity of the Palestinian political fractions in the struggle against Israeli occupation. Slogans were also dedicated to the prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli prisons, some of which have refused food for almost 80 days.
When the demonstration reached the segregation wall the soldiers were already preparing the skunk water truck to flush the demonstration with foul smelling water. Despite this some of the protestors reached the gate where they burnt car tires to express the sadness of their people and their defiance against the wall in the black color of the soot.
A speech was delivered by one of the protestors against the Israeli occupation and theft of land, condemning the recent settler attack on Ni'lin farmers. Last Wednesday settlers from Hashmonaim (an Israeli colony built on Ni'lin land) started throwing stones at farmers trying to reach their land on the other side of the wall. The settlers drove them away with gun fire while cursing at the farmers.
During the speech the soldiers continued to fire tear gas at the protestors to disperse the demonstration. A 14 year old child was injured and dozens suffered from tear gas inhalation. As so many times before the soldiers were hiding in the fields around the wall in order to arrest protestors but this time they were unsuccessful.
Since 1967 the village of Ni'lin has lost most of its land (only 7000 dunums remain of the 58000 that originally made up the land of the village. On the confiscated land five illegal colonies have been built, surrounding Ni'lin on all sides but to the west. The apartheid road 446 also serves to cut the village in half. From 2004 to 2008 the village held up the construction of the apartheid wall being built all across the West Bank. Over 1500 dunums that otherwise would have been confiscated was saved.
The construction of the wall marked the beginning of an intense struggle in Ni'lin where military brutality, curfews and internationally declared illegal weapons have been implemented to suppress the peaceful demonstrations. 153 villagers have been seriously injured by live bullets fired at critical points in their bodies and more than 650 have been seriously injured by rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas canisters. Thousands of others have been mildly injured and two people also lost their eye sight after being shot with rubber coated steel bullets. American activist Tristan Anderson was shot in the head with a high velocity tear gas canisters and spent more than one and a half years in hospital. Five people have been killed, among them a ten year old boy called Ahmad Mousa, who was shot in the head.
Despite the harsh repression the people of Ni'lin have continues their peaceful struggle with strengthened determination and have even managed to tear down segments of the wall. The wall presently consists of three barriers in Ni'lin: an electric fence, a concrete wall and a barb wire barrier but the struggle of this small and unknown village is still going strong.
The segregation wall will fall, just like all others, and the illegal Zionist occupation will end.
No comments:
Post a Comment