Upwards of hundred villagers, supported by international and Israeli activists, marched against the Wall in al-Maâsara on Friday. Following threats to blacklist popular committee members, as well as the ratcheting up the arrests of anti-Wall activists, there have been fears that Occupation forces will target al-Maâsara. This week, soldiers raided the village on Friday in response to the weekly protest.
Marching through the village toward the site of the Wall, protestors encountered soldiers and police stationed behind barbed wire. Chanting slogans and holding speeches in Arabic, English, French and Hebrew, demonstrators remained for an hour before they began heading back to the village.
At this point, several stones were thrown at the soldiers. A member of the popular committee stated that they were likely provocateurs sent by the army to provide a pretext to attack the demonstration. Soldiers did just this charging the protestors, hitting some and attempting to arrest others. Occupation forces than proceeded to storm the village, hurling sound bombs near homes before withdrawing.
Since Friday, military vehicles have been spotted in al-Maâsara during the night, and it seems that Occupation forces may attempt to crack down on the popular protests. But despite the increased repression, weekly marches are set to continue.
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