Another mass demonstration was held in Jayyous on January 9th, with protesters coming out to denounce the Occupation�s strategy of annihilation in Gaza, as well as its ongoing theft of village land with the Apartheid Wall. Over 700 people came to make their voices heard in Jayyous, which was designated as the main venue for protest for the entire Qalqilya district.
***image2***This week, the Occupation forces stepped their brutality up to a new level, as five people had to be taken to hospital as a result of injuries from live bullets, and over twenty others suffered injuries from rubber bullets and tear gas.
The demonstration began at 1:00, after the midday prayer. Participants gathered at the centre of the village, and marched to the south gate of the Wall. As they marched, the protestors chanted slogans demanding that the Occupation end its slaughter in Gaza, and denouncing the ongoing construction of the Wall. They also called for unity amongst the Palestinian people in order to effectively combat the Occupation. When the demonstrators reached the south gate, speeches were given by community leaders and local activists.
The speeches were interrupted, however, by the Occupation�s vicious actions. Without warning, several demonstrators and one cameraman, cried out in pain and fell to the ground. It turned out that the Occupation forces had been hiding in the olive grove near the south gate, and had begun firing live and rubber bullets at the crowd. They used silencers on their guns so that nobody knew they were shooting, until their bullets reached their targets. Three people were hit in the leg by live bullets, and one youth was hit in the stomach.
As the crowd dispersed, some youth began throwing stones at the Occupation forces, and the latter fired more bullets and poisonous tear gas. One youth was hit twice in the head by rubber bullets, while over twenty others suffered from major respiratory problems as a result of the poison tear gas. Many of them were taken to hospital for treatment.
The demonstration continued for several hours, with Occupation forces continuing their brutal tactics, and village youth continuing to resist by throwing stones.