Two Arrested During Nabi Saleh Demonstration
Reageer (0)
9-8-2010
Residents of Nabi Saleh defied the army and the unbearable heat in another week of resilient resistance to the occupation and the theft of their lands. No less than a hundred people took to the black asphalt streets of Nabi Saleh in the blazing heat of an August high noon after the midday prayer, marching down to Ein alQous, the water spring that settlers have been trying to take over.
As the villagers and their Israeli and international supporters marched down the main street, soldiers have already took positions at a junction inside the village, stopping all traffic in and out of the village, and the three other villages that depend on the junction. The village’s children were the first to get to the soldiers and taunted the force’s commander. Eventually, clashes ensued with tear-gas, concussion grenades and rubber bullets-coated from the army’s direction and stones from the village’s youth.
At some point, a fire was struck by a tear-gas projectile that landed in the garden of one of the village’s houses. As people were busy trying to put out the fire, a group of soldiers stormed into a house from which people were bringing water, in a failed attempt to arrest one of the village’s youth. Unsuccessful, they attacked a Danish activist – bashing his head against the wall – and arrested an Italian activist.
More than an hour after the fire began, one fire truck was finally allowed through the blocked intersection, and put out the fire. Clashes, however, continued, with soldier using constantly increasing violence, and periodically invading deeper into the village with armored jeeps and on foot, then retreating and then invading again.
An Israeli activist who was taking pictures was arrested by soldiers in one of these incursions, and later framed of stone throwing. The Italian activist was taken to the nearby Jewish-only settlement of Halamish, and released with no charge five hours later. The Israeli activist was taken to the police station, and after a short questioning was kept on remand for the night. The residents of Nabi Saleh have been holding regular demonstrations against the creeping confiscation of their lands by the adjacent Jewish-only settlement of Halamish since December 2009. Protest was sparked after settlers, abated by the Army, forcefully took over a natural spring belonging to the village.
The hilltop village of Nabi Saleh is home to approximately 550 residents and is located 30 kilometers northeast of Ramallah along highway 465. Residents have been holding regular demonstrations against the creeping confiscation of their lands by the adjacent Jewish-only settlement of Halamish since December 2009. Protest was sparked after settlers, abated by the Army, forcefully took over a natural spring belonging to the village.
