Saturday, August 13, 2011, three children were injured during a demonstration in a village near Bethlehem. Israeli Occupation forces repressed the demonstration activity, which was part of the weekly resistance march against the Wall and settlements in the al-Ma’asara village.
“Three children were lightly wounded as Israeli troops attacked the weekly anti wall protest at the village of al-Maâsara, southern West Bank. As soon as people marched to the land where Israel is building the wall troops attacked people with rifle buts and batons injuring Abada Brijiyah, 11, Osama Brijiyah, 9, Hareth Brijiyah, 10,” reported the International Middle East Media Center.
Dozens of demonstrators in the village were called by the Palestinian, Grassroots, Anti-apartheid Wall Campaign. They were joined by a large number of international solidarity activists from several countries and dozens of Israeli peace activists as well. The massive rally began in front of the village school with participants carrying raised Palestinian flags.
The demonstrators marched in the village chanting anthems that call for national unity, confirmed the need to uphold a vigilant Palestinian resistance to Occupation, the release of all prisoners, and freedom for Palestine. The demonstrators demanded that the Palestinian National Authority approach the United Nations in September to recognize a Palestinian state as a first step to end the Israeli occupation. Demonstrators said that this demand is the demand of all the Popular Committees in Palestine.
The demonstrators marched towards the land that is threatened with confiscation by the Apartheid Wall. Then the military force of the Israeli Occupation army sealed off the entrance to the village and prevented the demonstrators from reaching their land, which led to casualties among the demonstrators.
The People’s Committee stated that it will be through the efforts of demonstrations that will promote going to the United Nations. Those in the People’s Committees do not want to go back to the tunnel of negotiations, which have achieved nothing on the ground for Palestinians, but on the contrary, have been exploited by Israel to expand their settlements.