|
BIL'IN, Palestine, May 6, 2006 (IPC+ Agencies) - - A French journalist, his Palestinian colleague , a child and Palestinian journalist were wounded when the Israeli soldiers used force against hundreds Palestinian residents of Bil'in village, west of Rammallah and dozens of Israeli and international peace activists, held their weekly protest against Apartheid Wall in the village of Bil'in. In the rally, the protesters performed a street theatre piece symbolizing the siege and Wall that isolates them from each other and from their orchards. The protesters carried a 2-meter high iron representation of the siege, and surrounded it with 2.5 meter of barbed-wires. In the center of the symbolic representation, a Palestinian man stood carrying a Palestinian flag. Four residents carried the symbolic representation, they symbolically represented the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Israel and the United Nations and their decision to cut financial aid to Palestine. The protest was carried out by 250 residents and Israeli and international peace activists. After heading towards the construction site, the protesters were stopped by the soldiers who stationed themselves behind the Iron Gate which leads to orchards isolated behind the Wall. Occupation soldiers used loud speakers to stop the protesters and demanded they leave the area,. Later on, troops fired gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets at several residents who hurled bottles filled with chicken and sheep feces. A French reporter and his Palestinian colleague, Mizna Shahabeen, and Musheer abed Al Rahamn, a journalist working for Maan news agency were injured after inhaling gas fired by the army. One Palestinian child, identified as Talal Mustafa Khateeb, 5, was also injured after falling on the ground when he ran away from the soldiers out of fear. |