Israeli Soldiers Escalate Violence Against Peaceful Demonstrators in Bil'in
Information from International Solidarity Movement, www.palsolidarity.org
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For 27 months, villagers from the West Bank village of Bil'in have been nonviolently resisting Israel's Apartheid Wall and land theft. Palestinians have been joined by Israeli and international solidarity activists at Bil'in's regular weekly demonstrations against the Wall.
On April 20, 2007, they were joined by several of the attenders of the second annual Bil'in International Conference on Nonviolent Resistance. Palestinian Minister of Information Mustafa Barghouti and Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Macguire gave a press conference, after which the Israeli Defense Force brought up a water cannon and ordered members of the press to remove their vehicles. As Barghouti, Macguire, and other demonstrators advanced toward the Wall, soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at close range, hitting Macguire in the leg. She was helped to safety by volunteer medics, but returned to the demonstration.
In the weeks since, the Israeli soldiers have continued to escalate the violence of their response. On May 20 they blocked the route to the Wall with razor wire. Mustafa Barghouti joined the demonstrators again, and was among many who were struck with clubs by soldiers.
