Demonstration in Bilin

Dec. 11, 2009

Today in Bilin Palestinian, Israeli, and International activists joined together for yet another non-violent protest against the apartheid wall and Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land. Demonstrators of all ages holding signs and Palestinian flags marched to the apartheid fence (also referred to as a wall) where they were met with sound bombs and tear gas. Dozens suffered from severe tear gas inhalation.

Today, activists managed to pull open the yellow gate next to the fence, after cutting through the surrounding barbed wire. This gate is regularly used by the army to invade and harass the people of Bilin. Beyond the gate you can see the Israeli army's current encampment as well as fields and olive trees belonging to Palestinian families from Bilin. The apartheid wall usurps 60% of the village's land.

International demonstrator T.D. commented, All the values and principles of morality that we know have been completely inverted and perverted here, its Orwellian. His placard read, War monger Obama receives Nobel Peace Prize. Another sign read: Rouge criminal state Israel: The only democracy in the Middle East.

This protest was held just two days after Abdulla Abu Rahme the Media Coordinator of Bilins Popular committee was arrested in Ramallah. At 1am Thursday morning, six Israeli military jeeps arrived to arrest him at his apartment. Abu Rahme is one of the leaders of the non-violent resistance, he is being held at the Offer Jail in Betunia.

As part of a recent escalation of political arrests in Bilin, Abdallah
Abu Rahmah, a school teacher and coordinator of the Bilin Popular
Committee was arrested by Israeli soldiers. At exactly 2 AM last night,
seven Israeli military jeeps pulled over at Abdallah Abu Rahmah's
residence in the city of Ramallah. Soldiers raided the house and arrested
Abu Rahmah from his bed in the presence of his wife and children. Abu
Rahmah is a high school teacher in the Latin Patriarchate school in
Birzeit near Ramallah and is the coordinator of the Bilin Popular
Committee against the Wall and Settlements. A previous raid targeting Abu
Rahmah was executed with such exceptional violence on 15 September 2009,
that a soldier was subsequently indicted for assault.

Thank you for you continued support,

Iyad Burnat- Head of Popular Commitee in Bilin
co-founder of Friends of Freedom and Justice - Bilin

Email- bel3in@yahoo.com

www.bilin-ffj.org