Friday day of Anger” in support of Palestinian prisoners.

Bil'in - Palestine

11-5-2012,

 

Weekly demonstrations continued in Bil’in village West of Ramallah.  

Many citizens , peace and foreign activists suffered from cases of suffocation by poison gas during the weekly march organized by the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil'in. Many local, foreign and Israeli activists came to show solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike and to support Palestinian prisoner Bilal Diab and Thaer Hlahalh for entering the day 75 of the open hunger strike by participating in the march called by the People's Committee, and the people of Bil'in and in solidarity.

The weekly march began after Friday prayers from the center of the village towards the land (Abu Lemon) that has been returned to the inhabitants of Bil’in. Participants raised Palestinian flags and photos of prisoners, and chanted slogans calling for national unity and for the departure of the occupation and destruction of the apartheid wall.  With a resounding claim Palestinians also remember the continued and ongoing support of Jerusalem.

 Upon the arrival of participants to the Abu Lemon area, participants managed to break through the barbed wire, which then led IOF soldiers who were stationed behind the concrete wall to begin shooting rubber bullets, stun grenades, tear gas and waste water mixed with chemicals towards the participants.  Injuries occurred to dozens of local citizens, foreign and Israeli peace activists due to tear gas suffocation.  The injured were treated in the field by ambulance crews.  Clashes erupted between the participants and the occupation soldiers at which stones were thrown in response to the shootings of rubber bullets by the IOF.  Deliberate action of tear gas canisters directed towards the dry lands and olive groves  led to huge fires in the fields and neighboring areas.  Dozens of trees were destroyed, which is an economic loss and an environmental one as well.

While the weekly demonstrations in Bil’in continue, the Palestinian Call to hunger continues in support of the Palestinian prisoners.  The hunger strike is a struggle of many of the youth of the village in solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike continuing for the 22-day sit-in tent set up in the center of the village.

Palestinians marches have continues after Friday prayers in many locations across the West Bank and Gaza Strip in response to the invitation extended by the People's Committees to make Friday Day of Anger  for support of the prisoners in Israeli prisons.