Tourist moderately hurt during Bilin protest

An American peace activist was moderately injured Friday afternoon after Border Guard officers and IDF soldiers fired rubber bullets and teargas at demonstrators in the Palestinian village of Bilin, participants reported.

The activist was evacuated to the Ramallah hospital. Dozens of other protesters, including Hadash chairman, Knesset Member Mohammad Barakeh, were hurt after inhaling teargas, witnesses said. Barakeh's assistant fainted and was evacuated to hospital. An elderly men required hospital treatment.

Some 2,000 people attended the rally, which marked three years since the struggle against the construction of the separation fence near the village was launched.

Senior Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Parliament Member Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, also took part in the protest.

The IDF Spokesperson's Office reported that an IDF soldier was lightly injured by stones hurled at him during the incident, and received medical treatment on site.

According to the army, hundreds of Palestinians, foreign nationals and Israelis had gathered near the fence while violating a closed military area order, attempted to damage the fence and hurled stones at IDF and Border Guard forces securing the area. The soldiers and police officers were forced to use crowd dispersal means against the rioters.

MK Barakeh told Ynet that "The notorious brutality of the IDF and the Border Guard reflects the ugliest aspect of the attempt to crush Bilin residents' fight."

According to the MK, "The violent oppression will not curb the just struggle of the people of Bilin. The struggle is an admirable example of the Palestinian people's persistent fight to free themselves of the occupation and the burden of the fence, the settlements, the roadblocks, and the barbaric violence of the security forces."

Protesters clash with security forces in Bilin (Archive photo: Reuters)

The Hadash chairman also stated that the IDF and the Border Guard should be held accountable for their conduct opposite demonstrators who are using "non-violent protest against the fence, which deprives them of their land and livelihood."

Barakeh told Ynet that after ending his speech, the soldiers suddenly fired teargas at himself and his assistant. "I collapsed, I couldn’t stand on my legs," he said.

"I don’t understand why the forces there felt threatened. In the face of the Qassam in Sderot, official Israel celebrated, but in the face of anti-fence demonstrators, the occupation also takes violent steps. This teaches us that the occupation will pass and the Palestinian people will stay."

Joint and persistent struggle

Abdullah Abu Rahma, a member of the Popular Committee against the Wall, told Ynet, "Our greatest achievement is that for three years we have managed to bring together Palestinians from all the organizations, Israeli and international peace lovers, and receive their support for our just struggle.

"The Israelis see our non-violent struggle and do not like this persistence, and the fact that it serves as an example for many Palestinians."

Abu Rahma claimed that 5,000 people took part in the demonstration and that many others were injured by violence, whether by being hit or by rubber bullets, in addition to the hundreds hurt after inhaling teargas.

Jonathan Pollack, one of the leaders of the Anarchists Against the Fence movement, said, "Today signifies the fact that in Israel, despite the court's decision to dismantle part of the fence, the Israeli army couldn’t care less about these decisions and fails to implement them.

"However, today we prove after three years that the only way for the two people to live together is a joint and persistent struggle of all forces against oppression and against the occupation. This stubborn struggle continues despite the army and the Border Guard's oppression and brutality."

In September, the High Court of Justice accepted a petition filed by Bilin's residents asking that the fence's route near the village be amended. The court has ordered the State to draft an alternate route for the fence.

Sharon Roffe-Ofir contributed to the report