The Only Democracy? » Entries tagged with "Protests Against the Wall"
A year in jail not enough punishment for protesting
Israel’s military went to court for the right to keep holding in jail Palestinian organizer Abdallah Abu Rahmah, the cousin of slain protester Jawaher Abu Rahmah. Happily for the Israeli Army, it’s a military court so they complied. Abdallah is now to serve an additional 2-3 months. Presumably they believe that’s enough that when Abdallah is released, Palestinians won’t mind having their land stolen or their political and human rights denied. I wouldn’t bet on … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
On Adeeb Abu Rahmah’s release
By Rebecca Vilkomerson Video of Adeeb Abu Rahmah being released On a personal note, I remember very clearly the weekend that Adeeb was arrested. I was still living in Israel, and a friend from Anarchists Against the Wall was arrested with him. This friend was detained for over 24 hours, blindfolded, etc. This was fairly harsh treatment for a Jewish Israeli, and he told me all about it on our way to visit Tristan Anderson. It’s still amazing … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
Letter from an Israeli military prison
from Abdallah Abu Rahmah. Ed’s Note: As I participated in the December 10th TIAA-CREF Day of Action on Human Rights Day, I felt I had gained a new holiday to my calendar. At the end of the day, as I was unwinding, I received this letter from imprisoned leader Abdallah Abu Rahmah over email, and saw it posted at sites such as Huffington Post. It is a common observation among those of us who work for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
What’s the point of a trial? Protest organizer detained indefinitely
From the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee: Military Judge Orders to Keep Bil’in Organizer Jailed Even After He Has Finished Serving His Sentence in Full Ed’s note: Not only is organizing popular protest apparently a crime, it is one deserving unending prison sentence. Since it is obvious Israel’s government has no intention of ending the theft of land that cause these protests in the first place, they must resort to locking up the organizer, or the messenger if … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Four Beaten and Arrested at Al-Walaje Sit-In
by Mazin Qumsiyeh Our ten hour ordeal with the occupation forces started at 8:30 AM as we gathered in the small village of Al-Walaje. A tiny store with an elderly women who insisted on making me coffee and not charging me. Idyllic setting except for the heavy bulldozers now carving the hills to separate the remaining people from their lands via an apartheid wall that is planned to completely ring the village. This … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs, On The Ground Reports
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
Demonstrators Stop the Wall, Teenager Pepper-sprayed and Arrested.
from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee Demonstrators managed to disrupt the construction of the Wall in al-Walaje for the second time in a week . A 15 year old demonstrator was beaten, pepper-sprayed and arrested. Palestinian, Israeli and international demonstrators managed to stop the construction of the Wall in the village of al-Walaje, south of Jerusalem, for the second time this week. If completed, the path of the Wall in the area will surround the village completely, … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
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
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
Remembering Bassem (Pheel) Abu Rahma
Exactly one year ago, Bassem Abu Rahma (who everyone called Pheel, which means “elephant”), was killed by Israeli forces. Pheel, as he did every Friday, was demonstrating at the Wall which cuts off Bil’in from its own lands. His last words were to ask the soldiers not to shoot because an Israeli had been injured. He was shot in the chest by a tear gas canister, as can be seen in this video (somewhat graphic). Pheel … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Interactive Video
“You have a choice! Israeli Anti-Militarists Speak”
Four Israelis—Dorothy Naor, Sergeiy Sander and Eli Fabrikant, and Ofer Golani—talking about their personal histories, political views and activism in 132 short films.