Four Demonstraters Shot and Wounded in Ni'ilin, Palestine Protest

Ni'ilin, Palestine faces the loss of over half of its land to the Apartheid Wall. This will further impoverish the villagers. It is part of the Israeli plan to destroy Palestine by making life impossible for the Palestinians.

Every Friday Ni'ilin villagers are joined by Israeli and international activists to protest against the Wall's construction. Over one hundred people gathered for an open air prayer in one of the village's olive groves. After prayer the crowd marched to the area where the wall is being built across their land. Villagers began breaking down the razor wire barrier along the construction zone. Soldiers arrived in a jeep and began firing tear gas into the crowd. The demonstrators were forced to retreat. As they retreated, other soldiers positioned in the olive groves attacked them with more tear gas. A international activist (from Sweden) was hit in the stomach with an extended range tear gas grenade. Youth threw stones with slings and villagers and supporting activists tried all day to again walk towards the Wall.

In addition to tear gas, concussion grenades, and rubber coated steel bullets; Israeli forces opened fire throughout the day with live bullets. The Israeli Army uses a special low powered bullet, formerly claimed to be non-lethal. The bullets, however, have killed several Palestinians, and are commonly used by snipers at demonstrations in Ni'ilin.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent four young men were taken to the hospital after being shot with live bullets.
The first was shot in the left thigh as the crowd ran from approaching soldiers. The second was shot in the right calf and loaded into the same ambulance as the first. The third was shot across the lower back and had to be taken away in a private car. The fourth was shot just above the right knee late in the day.

Additionally, a young boy was hit with an extended range tear gas canister. The child was hit in the lower leg.

The last injury of the day was a Red Crescent Medic, also hit with a tear gas canister. The medic was shot in the right buttock.

The protest continued until dusk, when the soldiers withdrew from the area of the village. The were followed into the night by many protesters. When the army was gone a family on that edge of the village invited everyone over for tea. It had been an intense day for all involved.


For a good video of those shot see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Mjjul1aPc