The village of Jayyous was once again the site of a spirited demonstration which was met with brutal force by Occupation forces. At least 500 demonstrators from Jayyous and surrounding areas gathered in the village to join in the weekly protest, making it the largest one in recent weeks. However, Occupation forces countered this mobilization by sending some 200 soldiers into the village and using violent measures causing three people to be hospitalized.
***image2***Before the march began, Occupation forces warned the villagers that they would shoot to kill if they encountered any resistance. At 11:00 in the morning, two hours before the demonstration was set to begin, several groups of Occupation forces entered Jayyous to try and prevent the protest from taking place. They forced their way into two houses near the south gate, with the aim of occupying the rooftops to give them a better vantage point from which to shoot at the demonstrators.
When the owners of one of the houses, attempted to stop the soldiers from breaking into his house, they began beating him with their rifle butts, causing head injuries. An ambulance arrived on the scene soon afterwards to take the man to a local hospital. The Occupation forces also beat an international solidarity activist who had been staying in the house, and an ambulance had to take her to the hospital as well.
***image3***Meanwhile, another group of soldiers forced its way into a house near the village municipality building, giving them control over two strategic areas, and allowing them to fire at demonstrators from multiple directions.
In spite of these attempts to stop the protest, demonstrators gathered in the centre of the village after the midday prayer, they began to march towards the south gate. Occupation forces prevented them from reaching the gate by firing tear gas, sound bombs and rubber bullets at the crowd as it approached the two occupied houses. Several youth responded by throwing stones at the soldiers, and intense clashes continued for several hours.One of Mohammad’s brothers just called me and said that one youth, Rashid Muhammad Amin Abdel Fatah Salim, was shot in the backside with a rubber bullet, and had to be taken to hospital in Qalqilya.
This weekâs demonstration saw an especially large number of participants, as residents of Qalqilya, Salfit, Nablus, and other areas came to Jayyous to join in the rally. Several international solidarity activists were present as well. The growing strength of the demonstrations is a testament to the fact that regardless of the mounting repression, the people refuse to give up their struggle against the Wall and occupation.