Bil'in village has continued the struggle of resistance against the occupation.

Friday 21/01/2011

Bil'in village has continued the struggle of resistance against the occupation.

The Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil'in organized today's demonstration. The march began after Friday prayers from the center of the village, towards the site of the wall.  

Representatives from Bil'in as well as dozens of Palestinians from around the West Bank participated in today's march. In addition,  dozens of international activists and  Israelis participated in the demonstration, chanting slogans calling for national unity, ending the occupation, and the for the release of political prisoners and recently imprisoned Jonathan Pollak(28 year's) .

Pollak, an Israeli activist, just began his three month imprisonment after being singled out by the Israeli police and arrested at a Critical Mass in Tel Aviv and convicted of participation in an illegal assembly. This is a clear strategy by Israel to silence those speaking out against the occupation.

The demonstrators organized themselves in front of the wall in a large peace sign, with each person holding a picture of Pollak's face. This was in order to send a message to the world that the people of Bil'in are standing in peace against the occupation and the effect it has on those who take action against the it. The soldiers responded with spraying the demonstrators standing in the peace sign with waste water contaminated with chemicals, followed by tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber bullets. Dozens of people suffered from tear gas inhalation and from being sprayed with the waste water.

Demonstrators  and others attempted to stop the occupation forces when they attempted to advance towards the village, but the people were forced to retreat. After another thirty minutes the demonstration ended.