Friday was an unusually quiet day of demonstrations, with no major injuries.  We think it was because the Israeli Army was conducting some sort of press tour and were therefore less violent than usual.  We were part of Friday demonstrations against the Wall this week in  Bilin, Nil'in, Al Mas'ara and Azun Atme.

Bilin:  This Friday demonstration was different from these of the last months.
We had nearly two car loads of Israelis from Jerusalem, joined by a bit smaller than usual Tel Aviv and Neve Shalom contingent of 15 only,  who joined a dozen international and dozens of Bil'in villagers.

We marched as usual with chanting and a bit of dancing from the center of the village up to the gate in the separation fence.

There, we had the first surprise. The state force swarming the big concrete blocks on the elevation behind the gate were not seen in their position. When we reached the gate, there was not the usual shower of tear gas.

When few activists opened the external gate fortified with barbed wire, still nothing. In response to an intensive stone throwing barrage the soldiers came with shields and stood along the electronic fence – but there were no shock grenades on the activists who stood there, and no shower of tear gas on the stone throwers, though there were occasional tear gas, not enough to deter the stone throwers.

After a long while, when people and photographers started to return to the village the tear gas machine gun shoot a barrage of tear gas and most participants went away leaving some stone throwing kids behind.

Nil'in 19.6.09

Ni'lin:  As per the Friday tradition, following lunchtime prayers a group of approximately 150 protesters set out to the route of the fence. Ni’lin residents were joined by 10 Israelis and about 20 internationals. The protesters reached the southern section of the fence, that cuts the village off from its olive groves. With the help of bolt-cutters, the Shabab, (local youth) proceeded to dismantle about 70 meters of barbed wire and the easy access to the electronic fence s(rendered defenseless by the topographically-inferior route in this area, clearly exposing the state’s lies to the high court) enabled those members of the shabab with good aim to destroy some of the poles that contain the electronic equipment.
 
All through this, a group of soldiers and border police looked idly on, and did not intervene, as they usually do, by attacking the protesters. This raised some eyebrows, and the mystery was solved when a group of journalists and photographers showed up on the soldiers’ side. It seems that the army had staged a media event in order to demonstrate the leniency it employs during these protests. Some military jeeps then drove along the fence route, to serve as a convenient target for the stones of the Shabab, and the lenses of the media. After a couple of volleys of teargas fired from the jeep-top launchers, and a few gas grenades launched feebly, but by the book, by some soldiers (presumably to make the show a little less obvious), the demonstration dispersed, and most protesters went back to the village to participate in a wedding that to be held that evening.

Al Mas'ara:  A group of local Palestinian protestors against the apartheid wall and settlements were joined by Israeli activists and internationals from the U.S, Canada, France, Germany, and Russia, Italy and Ireland. All were here  in solidarity with the cause for justice to the oppression by Israel's militant tactics and racist policies. Their peaceful efforts were met at an arbitrary line – made of sharp barbed wire put in place by Israeli occupation Forces (IOF).
 
Along the march were BBC/Al Jazeera and other journalists documenting the consistent plight of Al-Mas'ara locals facing expulsion, annexing of fertile farm-land, and encroaching Colonies.
 
The march down the blocked road included lectures from Fatema Zewahara to the heavily armed IOF soldiers; "We are today demonstrating peacefully, We want freedom on our land, this is our children's l, and when you use firepower to prevent us from living and even entering our land on the basis of God, it means nothing."
 
Fatema, as she attempted to move the sharp wire in her path was met with an armed IOF soldier's boot, stomping the barbed wire down and putting his finger on the trigger of his M-16, thinking this would intimidate the old lady.
 
Marwan reminded the soldier " to think if he would treat his own mother like this…".
One Jewish international spoke liturgy to the IOF thinking they may revaluate their hearts, reminding them "that these behaviors of occupation and expulsion of people and neighbors from their own land, go against Biblical principles". He reminded them in their Hebrew language hoping their would be some indication of human kindness, but immediately his voice was stifled by the extreme loud sirens of the Humvees in the background, with jocular expressions by the cowards inside.
 
Later together everyone applauded at their ironic successes of a peaceful demonstration against the militant IOF. Chants by everyone on the un-militarized side of the razor wire included "no to the separation Wall, we will be here next week…"!

Azun Atme:  Three cars left Tel Aviv to join a demonstration against the wall that surrounds Azun-Atme. We joined several internationals and were briefed by the locals. Azun-Atme is entirely surrounded by the separation wall. Entry is permitted only to registered residents of the village. This restriction prevents any economic activity, and severs work and family ties with Qalqilia and the surrounding villages. The fence is a means to "dry out" the village and encourage a population transfer that would allow Israel to take over its land. The organizers explained that this was a "pilot" demonstration and was therefore to be small in scale, without shabab, without local villagers and avoiding friction with the army. The stated purpose of the organizers is to turn the demo into a weekly protest with the participation of local villagers. About 11 Israelis, 8 internationals and 20 Palestinians gathered at the Azun-Atme gate. The army was suspiciously peaceful, the liaison office smiled throughout, no police or border patrol were called and the checkpoint operated smoothly throughout the demonstration. For over half an hour slogans were chanted and speeches made against the separation wall and in favour of Palestinian freedom. After absorbing a dangerous overdose of Palestinian sun the demonstration dispersed without conflicts.

Saffa:  Like in the past two months, Palestinian farmers were joined by international and Israeli activists  on Saturday in order to work their fields that are close to the radical settlement of “Bat Ayin." A group of about 50 people  gathered early in the morning and marched to the fields. When they arrived they noticed a group of about 10 settler youth who were throwing rocks at them using slingshots. An army jeep accompanied by border police and regular police was fast to arrive to the area but “failed” to stop the settlers. A group of 6 Israeli activists who went to file complaint against the settler violence were detained by the police who used the illegal “close military zone” warrant they use every week in order to stop the farmers from working their land, at the same time a group of about 20 people were working the land for about an hour and a half until the army arrived and showed them the warrant.  At this point all of the people started to march back to the village but were at attacked by army and border police who detained another activist.

Since then, on Sunday evening all of one of the local farmers grapevines and trees, more than 125, were cut down by settlers from Beit 'Ayin.  There is video and pictures of the damage and  a police complaint has been filed. Check out Palestine Solidarity Project  for updates on the situation