Four Bil’in Residents Detained While Accessing Farmland
Reageer (0)17-2-2010
At 11am Wednesday morning 2 jeeps and approximately 10 soldiers invaded Bil’in village. Witnesses reported that many young schoolgirls were coming home from their school day as soldiers surveyed the village. At one point, a sound bomb (stun grenade) and one tear gas canister were thrown on the street near the mosque, while soldiers attempted to stop a local cameraman from filming them.
Later in the day as farmers and their families crossed the barrier fence to access their farm land, four young men from the village were harassed and detained at the fence for two hours. Their I.D.s were taken from them and held while the men waited to be released. Soldiers hassled them about being near the construction sight for the new fence.
Since last Thursday’s news that construction on the new wall had begun, residents and especially farmers have been crossing over to their land on the other side of the apartheid fence. Everyone is curious to see where the new fence will be built. It is currently the season for tree planting and preparing farmland for spring crops.
The current fence cuts residents of Bil’in off from 60% of their agricultural land. The Israeli Supreme Court had deemed the path of the wall to be illegal two years ago. Technically those who owned land on the other side of the fence could access their land, however harassment from soldiers stationed at the fence is not uncommon.
Today’s harassment precedes this Friday’s demonstration in Bil’in marking the five-year anniversary of resistance to the wall and settlements. Local organizers have called for a mass celebration of the non-violent resistance and for the success of joint struggle between Palestinian, Israeli, and International activists.
Many Palestinian activists remain in Israeli military prisons as political prisoners for being involved in weekly demonstrations. On Monday 22/2/10 Abdullah Abu Rahma, teacher and Bil’in Popular Committee media coordinator will have another court hearing at Ofer Military prison.
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