The People of Budrus Demonstrate, Confront the Military in Resisting the Wall
Latest News, PENGON/Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, December 31st, 2003
Today, at 5:30 AM, the Occupation Military returned for the second day to the village of Budrus in the western Ramallah District, to continue razing land and uprooting trees for the Apartheid Wall that will encircle Budrus and its neighboring villages. The people of Budrus--women, men young and old, and children—joined together with people of the adjacent villages to confront the military and its bulldozers. Though curfew had been imposed by the Occupation Military on the village, as is commonly done by the military when it enters a village to destroy it, Budrus residents defied the order and went to their lands at around 6:30 AM to the location where their property, livelihoods, and heritage were facing ruin.
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| Above: The Apartheid Wall, in red and in blue, will make life in the trapped communities near impossible. This is an excerpt from the Campaign's November 2003 poster map. See the complete map here. |
The first residents to arrive on the threatened lands were overwhelmingly outnumbered by Occupation soldiers, and the confrontation began with physical beatings that left a number of residents injured. People from the village and near-by villages were called to support in solidarity as the demonstration grew large by 7:30 AM. The Occupation Military soon began shooting tear gas, rubber coated metal bullets and live ammunition into the crowd.
Yesterday, when the Occupation Military began "the work" of clearing olive groves and isolating lands of the village to make way for the Apartheid Wall, village residents had also confronted the Military and the bulldozers; seven people were injured.
Today, 25 Palestinians were injured, including Hussein Ahmad, who was shot in the head. Among the seriously injured were also Ayid Marrar, Mohammad Marrar, and Abdel Nasser Murrar. Numerous women were beaten by the soldiers’ with their batons and many fainted from the impact of the tear gas. Children and the elderly were also beaten once they joined in the demonstration.
Clashes continued until 2:30 PM, when the Occupation Military left the lands of Budrus. At high costs, the community has managed to stop the building of the Wall, for today.
The residents of Budrus fear that curfew will be imposed on the village throughout the construction of the Wall, which may take months, as residents will be imprisoned inside as the Occupation Military ravages through their lands and seals the fate of the village.
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| Above: The devastation in Budrus began yesterday as olive trees were uprooted and detroyed to make way for the Apartheid Wall, despite community protest. |
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