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Israel at Abdallah Abu Rahma’s trial: .22 bullets are ok for crowd control

Israel at Abdallah Abu Rahma’s trial: .22 bullets are ok for crowd control

From the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. September 16th, 2010. Military Prosecution Demands More Than Two Years Imprisonment for Bil’in’s Abdallah Abu Rahmah Military prosecutor said harsh sentence should serve as a deterrent to other protesters. Despite military orders to the contrary, army officer said 0.22″ caliber bullets are considered crowd control measures. Abdallah Abu Rhamah at court yesterday. Picture credit: Oren Ziv/Active Stills* The sentencing phase in the trial of Abdallah Abu Rahmah, … Read entire article »

Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs

Video: Gaza, Bethlehem, and rememberance (Yizkor) for Bassem

A friend of The Only Democracy? wanted to share the following videos. Here is a recent one made by someone who spent years trying to visit Gaza. and here is an older piece, made by residents of Aida refugee camp and Anne who made the first film. It is about the Checkpoint from Bethlehem to what Israel illegally declared Jerusalem (in fact, it stands in the middle of Bethlehem and separates one area of the city from the other, I still have a friend living on the other side who is considered resident of Bethlehem). The video shows how the few Palestinian workers who are allowed by Israel to cross to the “Jerusalem” side for work get in line every work day at 3h or 4h … Read entire article »

Filed under: On The Ground Reports

Urgent need for support to release 17 year old Ahmad Abed Al-Fatah from jail

Urgent need for support to release 17 year old Ahmad Abed Al-Fatah from jail

From the Friends of Freedom and Justice Bil’in and the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee On July 19, 2010 Bil’in was subjected to yet another Israeli Occupation Forces night raid when an unusually heavy number of Israeli soldiers entered the outskirts of the village to arrest a local youth; 17 year old Ahmad Abed Al-Fatah Burnat – who unfortunately was arrested. At 1:30 in the morning on July 19th armed Israeli soldiers drove into … Read entire article »

Filed under: On The Ground Reports

Criminalization of Popular Struggle Continued; Abdallah Abu Rahmah Sentenced

Criminalization of Popular Struggle Continued; Abdallah Abu Rahmah Sentenced

From the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s first trial from 2005 had reached conclusion yesterday, with his sentencing to two months of imprisonment and a six months suspended sentence for participating and organizing demonstrations and for walking the streets of his village during a curfew designed to prevent a demonstration. A verdict in Abu Rahmah’s main case for which he is already in jail since December is expected soon. Bil’in Protest … Read entire article »

Filed under: On The Ground Reports

Palestinian activist detained for daring to appeal his arrest.

Palestinian activist detained for daring to appeal his arrest.

By Jesse Bacon From to the list of Anarchists Against the Wall, Approximately a week ago, Adeeb Abu-Rahme was convicted in the military court for “incitement” and more. Yesterday, July 7, the military court sentenced Adeeb for a year in prison, and a year on parole. As already in custody for a year – he was supposed to be released yesterday. The military prosecution appealed against the “lenience” of the sentence and asked to keep Adeeb … Read entire article »

Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs

Huwaida Arraf detained

Huwaida Arraf detained

by Jesse Bacon I called Huwaida Arraf for her second part of our interview to find she had been detained by Israeli police at the Friday Bil’in protest against the wall. Will check on a number to call. In the meantime, here’s her interview on Democracy Now! … Read entire article »

Filed under: On The Ground Reports

Amidst Furor Over Gaza, Israel Shoots Out the Eye of Protester

Amidst Furor Over Gaza, Israel Shoots Out the Eye of Protester

From the International Solidarity Movement Warning: Graphic Photos. 31 May 2010: An 21-year old American solidarity activist was shot in the face with a tear gas canister during a demonstration in Qalandiya, today. Emily Henochowicz is currently in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem undergoing surgery to remove her left eye, following the demonstration that was held in protest to Israel’s murder of at least 10 civilians aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international … Read entire article »

Filed under: On The Ground Reports

Another Palestinian Protest Leader Jailed But Not Silenced

Another Palestinian Protest Leader Jailed But Not Silenced

From Friends of Freedom and Justice – Bil’in. Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 Iyad Burnat, a leader in the popular struggle against the Israeli wall, was banned by Israel’s military from crossing the West Bank borders into Jordan on Saturday. Burnat is head of the local committee against the wall and settlement in the central West Bank village of Bil’in. The villagers of Bil’in have been organizing weekly anti wall protest for five years. “This is  just another episode … Read entire article »

Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs

What if Bil’in held a demo and the army didn’t show up?

What if Bil’in held a demo and the army didn’t show up?

By Emily Schaeffer Some of us have become so used to West Bank demonstrations meaning major Israeli army presence, and, typically, the use of weapons, that we have forgotten what demonstrations in a democracy look like. We’ve forgotten that a protest against oppressive working conditions in downtown New York City, or against oppressive abortion policies in Fredericton, Canada, or against wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in cities including London, Sydney, Paris, San Francisco and Toronto — … Read entire article »

Filed under: Featured, On The Ground Reports

A Nonviolent Che Guevara in Gaza

A Nonviolent Che Guevara in Gaza

By Ashely Bates, reprinted from her Dispatches from Gaza blog with permission (Ed’s note. The spreading of the unarmed protests for real democracy to Gaza shows that the tactic is working. And if it works people will want to try it, in ways that defy stereotypes of “violent” Hamas-controlled Gaza. The only difference is that Israel can get away with a harsher response in Gaza so paying attention to stories like this is all the more … Read entire article »

Filed under: On The Ground Reports