(en) Palestine-Israel, The pick of the summer was joined by the Muslim Ramadan day fasting holy days... but we do not stop

It is hot. Very hot in the middle of the days in the middle of the summer. The Palestinian
people of the villages who follow the Muslim religion started this Friday the Ramadan holy
days in which eating and drinking is forbidden when the Sun is shining. So the joint
demonstrations were a bit shorter and smaller, but more lively as it is the season when
lot of international activists have their Summer vacation. We had this week the usual
Friday demos in Bil'in, Ma'asara, Nabi Saleh, Ni'ilin, Kufr Qaddum, Sheikh Jarrah and
Saturday at Beit Ummar. Accompanying villagers near colonialist settlement in the South
Hebron hills... and along the week - picking on Saturday late evening the Social Struggle.
Though the demonstrations in Tel Aviv are only with thousands of participants each but
they are much more militant and radical comparing to last year.

Bil'in

Friday demo. At noon, about 20 international activists from all over the world, joined 15
Israelis and two dozen Bil'iners. We traveled to the Abu Lamun oaks park
Near the separation fence, and marched chanting towards the separation wall. Some of us
entered between the barbed wire spools and the wall, but after a while we heard the
warming up of the skunk water sprayer pump and distanced to a safe distance. After the
spray started, the wind carried it towards us forcing us to retreat further. Then, the
state forces started to shoot tear gas grenade to force us to retreat further. The wind
this day was not friendly and many of us got a significant dose of tear gas on the way
back to the village.
Hamdiaburahma http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cuJ51m8hwQ

Ma'asara

"...Protesters march to the entrance of the village & ask the soldiers who are blocking
the road to ?allow? them to go to their lands.

During week days, the villagers can get to their lands , but what happens in Ma?asara
weekly demonstrations illustrates what I think is an important point: even the most
peaceful, non violent form of resistance is banned within the lines of the west bank
according to the martial law. This time the soldiers didn?t even bother to present a
closed military zone warrant, ignoring their own regulations, and absurdity: how come
going on that road is safe during weekdays, but becomes dangerous for about half an hour
when a group of un-armed villagers and internationals show up? People who join the weekly
demonstrations of Al Ma?asara for the first time seem to complain the demonstration isn?t
effective but rather symbolic, that the scenario is already known before the demonstration
started and it looks like a staged act for the internationals. But what I see is that
this ?staged act? highlights some of the reality of civil population living under martial
law: the soldiers can arbitrarily decide wither a gathering is legal or not, as they see
fit. Unlike protests within 48 borders, where police is instructed not to intervene
small-medium protests, the villagers are met with ridiculous protester-soldiers rate , and
are met with heavily armed forces.

?They have a wall within their mind? said one protester as another person offered the
soldiers to drop his guns and come visit his home. Another villager asked the soldiers
where is the promised peace. Dialogue with heavily armed soldiers produces a lot of
unforgettable scenes , although this kind of dialogue is futile by nature & has certain
theatrical quality.

It is important for me to keep in mind that a large portion of Al Ma?asara agricultural
lands has already been confiscated & over 3000 dunums are at risk of being seized to
build the annexation wall. Attending the weekly protest help me remember that.
pictures by kabarita
http://kabarita.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/this-is-ramadan-why-cant-i-go-to-the-land-maasara-videos-pictures/
This is Ramadan we want to go to the Land - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dm_UXuCj4k

Nabi Saleh

Activist report that Israeli Occupation Forces have entered Nabi Saleh village, are firing
teargas, surrounding houses and arresting people.
Activists are reporting that the IOF have withdrawn from the village to the base of the
mountain/village entrance. Demo is over for the day.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.469963149680661.113009.136633479680298

South Hebron hills

This week we will accompany Palestinians farmers and shepherds to their lands in several
locations in South Hebron hills. Harassment of Palestinian farmers and shepherds in the
area by both settlers and the army continues

Social Struggle

Saturday late evening. There were convergences and marches in commemoration of Moshe
Silman who burned himself the previous Saturday demo in Tel Aviv after distributing
leaflets, and died a day before. The main ones were in Jerusalem, and Haifa, Beer Sheva,
with few hundreds each and one of more than thousand in Tel Aviv which blocked main roads
for more than 4 hours.
In TA, many fire men were among the demonstrators with fire extinguishing devices. Report:
Police intelligence told to target Israeli Arabs joining social protests - and one was the
only arrestee Saturday demo in Tel Aviv
Unlike the directives about Jewish demonstrators, which focus on rioters and anarchists, a
directive issued to intelligence officers does not specify which type of Arab
demonstrators police should watch out for.
http://via.me/-39rc1r8
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Bron : A-infos-en@ainfos.ca


See http://awalls.org
See Previous reports about the joint struggles the Anarchists Against the Wall take part
in at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com