Live bullets, sound grenades and tear gas to repress al Ma’sra’s weekly demonstrations
Latest News, Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign , July 5th, 2008
Live bullets, sound grenades and tear gas were used by occupation forces to disperse a popular march that started from the centre of al Ma’sra, south of Bethlehem, and moved towards the Apartheid Wall.
Organizers vowed continued resistance and announced more protests to mark the 4th anniversary of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision, which declared the Wall illegal, called for it to be dismantled and those affected to be compensated for the damages.
A large number of occupation forces were called to the area. Immediately after the demonstrators arrived at the place of the construction works for the Wall, they attacked the people using live bullets, tear gas, sound bombs and batons. Eight people were wounded and had to be treated in the local clinic. Five others were arrested and suffered brutal beatings, among them Hassan Brijiye and Ahmed Teqatqah. Brijiye is one of the leaders of the Popular Committees against the Apartheid Wall.
The weekly demonstrations in Al Ma’sra are a response to the call made by the Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign. The attempt is to build up popular mobilization and resolutely insist on the implementation of the International Court of Justice’s decision. The intransigent non-compliance of the occupation forces and its brutal suppression of those calling for the implementation of the ICJ decision mean that we must insist on the United Nation’s General Assembly to revisit this issue and be responsible for ensuring compliance.
This demand is part of the Campaign’s struggle to end the occupation, dismantle the settlements and tear down the Wall. Mohammed Brijiye, the media spokesman of the Popular Committees Against the Apartheid Wall in Bethlehem governorate and the Campaign’s coordinator in al Ma’sra vowed that “the Occupation’s policy of repression used against popular marches will not discourage our people from their resistance. They will continue to claim their rights. Our people refused to bow down sixty years ago and still refuse to live as slaves.”
Mazen Al Aza, the coordinator of the Popular Committees Against the Apartheid Wall in Bethlehem district announced that the next week will witness a large number of protests and public events to demand the ICJ decision to be referred back to the United Nations and called for global action to support the Palestinian people.
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