Monday, April 26, 2010

Protesting the Colonization of Hebron April 2010 24 April 2010

Protest in Hebron April 2010 24 April 2010

avrahamibnezra April 26, 2010 — At around 15:45 a group of approximately 50 Palestinian, Israeli, and International activists gathered in Hebron next to the checkpoint gate separating Shuhada Street from the Casbah. The protest, which hopes to become a weekly action, was intended to disrupt the army-accompanied settler tour that goes through the Casbah (Old City) every Saturday. The protestors stood in front of the gate where the tour usually enters, holding signs and chanting slogans in Arabic, English, and Hebrew; this continued for some time without any disturbance. Soldiers and Israeli police looked onto and videotaped the protest from pillboxes and rooftops nearby. Eventually the protest was declared over, but was then suddenly reignited with news that the settlers had managed to enter the Casbah through another entrance. The protestors then began to advance through the marketplace alleyways to where the tour was said to be but they were met by a line of soldiers who blocked their path. Protestors continued chanting and tried to push past the soldiers claiming that it should not be a crime to walk through their own city. Protestors tried several times to run around to different entrances into the market to prevent the tour from progressing, but each time they were met by a chain of soldiers and the face-off /pushing began again. Amidst the chaos of running back and forth, one Israeli activist was arrested for no apparent reason. When the protesters re-grouped at the original location alongside the checkpoint gate, they formed a human wall in front of the soldiers by linking arms. The soldiers stood in front of the protestors, blocking them, in order to create a clear path for the settlers to exit the Casbah and pass through the gate back to Shuhada Street. The police then arrived and arrested two more Israeli activists as well as a Palestinian activist and resident of Tel Rumeida, Hebron. One of the arrests was particularly violent as the protestor was pushed to the ground and then dragged/carried away.



planxtysumoud April 26, 2010


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