500 villagers demonstrated today in Qattana, northwest of Jerusalem, against the Apartheid Wall being built on their lands. The Demonstration began at 10:00am, with villagers heading to the area where Occupation forces were working. As soon as the demonstrators arrived Occupation soldiers began firing tear gas and rubber coated bullets in an attempt to disperse the crowd and silence their protest. 11 people were injured by bullets; as well many were overcome by the excessive amounts of gas used by Occupation forces. A girl of 13 years was struck in the face by a gas canister and suffered serious burns. At one point there was so much gas being used in the area of the village itself, that residents not attending the demonstration had to be evacuated from their homes. Besides this, three villagers were badly beaten by the so-called “Special Forces” troops and were taken to hospital, one man, Abu Khaled Alfaqih, was beaten so severely that his leg was shattered in several places, and now faces extensive surgery to repair the damage, as well as many months of physical rehabilitation.
Moreover, Occupation bulldozers dislodged large boulders and rock, which rolled down from the worksite into the village area, damaging homes and several tombs in the village cemetery. Tear gas was also fired into an agricultural area, suffocating to death two goats and 10 hens.