On the first Friday of Ramadan, more than 150 people attended the weekly march against the Wall, reaching the new concrete barrier that protects the fences and sensors. Protestors stressed that the Palestinians are one people, and what the Israeli government is doing here is not different from what is happening all across Palestine, from Jerusalem to Niâlin.
Upon reaching the Wall, jeeps attacked marchers with tear gas and sound bombs, and most of the protesters responded with stones. Other young people threw bottles of paint which colored the jeeps. The large number of people forced the jeeps to retreat quickly to the jeeps.
The demonstration then divided into two groups, with the first part moving to an area close to the gates and the second heading to the new gates on the concrete wall. Amidst burning tires, a group of protesters climbed the gates and concrete and planted the Palestinian flags on top. Demonstrators aimed to send a message to Occupation forces that nothing will prevent them from reaching their lands and olive groves.
In an effort to push the protesters back, a large contingent of soldiers and jeeps fired volley upon volley of tear gas, causing breathing problems for a great number of people, especially those fasting. Witness also reported hearing the sound of live ammunition, which was fired by the snipers in the area. Youth continued to hurl rocks and throw back tear gas canisters, scattering soldiers who are not used to having their own tactics used against them.
As the demonstration went on the protesters moved to another section of the Apartheid Wall, the distance between the soldiers and protesters narrowed to not more than 10 meters, with each side shouting at the other. Jeeps interrupted the arguments with tear gas, and in the next half hour hundreds of canisters were fired. One tear gas bomb from the youth forced seven jeeps to retreat, but then soldiers burst through the Wall gates in an attempt to ambush demonstrators. They pursued protestors in the direction of the village, with the protest continuing for several more hours.
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