'Our land.' Anti-security barrier protest (archives)
Photo: Reuters
Part of West Bank security barrier torn down 'like Berlin Wall'
Palestinians, leftists rallying in Naalin say they tipped over concrete slab to mark fall of 'monstrosity that divided Berlin,' adding 'we will triumph because justice is on our side'
Some 300 Palestinians and left-wing activists who demonstrated on Friday against the construction of the West Bank security barrier in the village of Naalin said they managed to overturn one of its concrete slabs.
"On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is high time that the separation barrier be dismantled in accordance with the ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague," said one of the protestors.
The concrete slab that was taken down is five-meters high and weighs several tons, the demonstrators said.
The rally's organizers claimed that a model of the Berlin Wall which was placed near the barrier was torn down by Israeli soldiers who chased them into Naalin.
'We can pull it off.' West Bank barrier (Archive photo: AP)
The army said it used crowd control measures to avoid any injuries to the protestors.
"Twenty years ago, no one imagined that the monstrosity that divided Berlin would ever be taken down, but it took only two days to do it," said Muhib Hawaja, who took part in the rally.
"Today we proved that we too can pull it off, right here and right now. That is our land beyond the barrier, and we have no intention of ceding it. We will triumph because justice is on our side," he said.
According to reports, some of the protestors in Naalin, as well as a number of people who rallied against the barrier near Bethlehem, were injured from rubber bullets and tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers.
Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report
