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Published: August 11th 2006
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Jemima:
This isn't going to be a proper update, but I'm feeling pretty helpless right now, and all I can do is write this to let you all know what's going on.
Today we went to the regular weekly demo in Bil'in, as planned. The march started out as usual, but before we even made it close to the wall, the Israeli army opened fire with sound bombs, tear gas and rubber bullets, coming right into the village. Me being the sensible person (chicken) I am, me and Elliot were pretty near the back, and we were a long way away from the real violence, so there's no need to worry on our behalf.
However, the main reason I'm telling you all this is because we found out later that one of the Israeli activists who was there was shot in the head at close range with a rubber bullet. The latest we've heard was that some of his brain had to be removed during surgery - we don't know how much of a recovery will be possible.
I don't know this guy, I didn't meet him, but the fact that this happened while we were there is
enough to make me have to do something to tell people what happened. We were all there - Internationals, Palestinians and Israelis - to peacefully register our objections to the apartheid wall. How can the Israeli military possibly justify its violence towards us? How can it have potentially destroyed the rest of someone's life, simply because they wanted to take part in a peaceful protest? Elliot said everyone there knew the possible consequences of taking part, but I don't think that's true. We all know some people are probably going to get a little hurt: no-one really expects they could lose their life.
This is the article about the demo on the ISM website - I'd imagine they will update their articles as and when they know more.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/08/11/bilin-4/ For those of you who will be attending some form of worship this weekend, please hold this guy and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Hopefully there'll be a more cheerful final entry within the next couple of days.
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anonymous
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There's some considerable footage of the demo on Euronew's 'no comment' section at the moment. Looks pretty dreadful.