This week’s larger than usual demonstration in Bil’in was characterized by a strategy of escalation on the army’s side. Demonstrators were attacked by border police with a concussion grenade inside the village, even before reaching the gate, and marksmen with live ammunition were spotted.
Soldiers rushing to disperse demonstrators
Despite the early assault, demonstrators continued marching towards the gate, and on arrival, started pulling at the razor wire surrounding it. The soldiers responded by flinging their batons at the demonstrators. Soon after some children threw stones at the soldiers, who in turn, immediately used concussion grenades, teargas and rubber-coated steel bullets at anyone present in their surroundings.
A concussion grenade exploding
A minute or so after stones throwing ceased and soldiers advanced from behind the gate forming two lines – One dispersing the remaining demonstrators, and the other shooting teargas projectiles and rubber-coated steel bullets into the village, which attracted more stone throwing.
Some activists noticed a low level officer moving away from the line of soldiers together with two marksmen, trying to position slightly away. They were followed and disrupted, until they were forced to return to the bigger group of soldiers.
Marksmen’s sight blocked by demonstrators
When it became clear that concussion grenades and teargas (which the wind carried back to the soldiers) isn’t going to disperse the protesters, who kept trying to cross to the lands throw the now less guarded gate, the army moved back to simply pushing demonstrators and beating them with clubs, while continuing the shooting range towards the village. When asked if killing an 11 year old girl in Anata last week wasn’t enough, a soldiers replied: “She probably had it coming”.
As demonstrators retreated towards the village through the olive groves, way from the crossfire of stones and rubber bullets, they were forced to go into it by a border police force that still remained in the village.
A few minutes later, the border police carried out a much quicker than usual retreat towards the gate. Photographers who remained behind over heard the commander ordering his troops to prepare for stage B, and then gave an order to disperse the press. Before leaving an activist photographer saw the marksmen getting into position again, and on his way back to the village, warned the youth who were still present.
Altogether nine people were injured today, including one Palestinian who was hit in the head with a concussion grenade and suffered a mild concussion. Another Palestinian was shot in the back with a teargas projectile, and a Palestinian journalist was hit in the leg by a stone.
