Bil'in demo another arrest and lots of gas 07.08.09

Once the protesters arrived close to the Separation Wall, activists from Italy, France, Israel and Bil'in were addressing the soldiers, demanding an end to the military occupation and the Wall. Then the chanting of Palestinian freedom slogan resumed while some of the activists tried to open the gate at the Green Line without success. The Army threw a multiple of tear gas and sound bombs into the crowd. Then the first arrest occurred. After having blindfolded and handcuffed the cameraman, the soldiers entered through the gate a second time. But the air was still heavy with tear gas which made the soldiers retreat to their outpost without arresting anyone else.

The protesters held their ground and were soon sprayed with the foul chemical water and more tear gas. After one hour into the demonstration, the protesters returned back to the village.
RW writes:
"Some 20 Israelis and 50 internationals joined a smaller than usual number of Palestinian men and women for the weekly demonstration against the separation wall. The demonstration marched chanting slogans against the annexation wall, the occupation and the arrest of Bil'in's youth and popular struggle leaders, accompanied by a marching poem written by one of the local leaders. When the demonstration reached the fence, short speeches were made in Arabic, English and French. An African-American speaker particularly engaged the crowd with his political-evangelical-panther-like speech. When a handful of protesters tried to cross the fence, they and the demonstrators behind them suffered a rain of tear gas. A Palestinian journalist who was gassed into the path between the fences was arrested by the soldiers. The demonstration then managed to regroup and chant more slogans next to the fence. A clear order given to the military by protesters to withdraw and release the prisoner was disobeyed. Just as the protesters announced the demonstration over, the shit-water cannon got in from Ni'lin, and started spraying the already putrid area with the stench of occupation. After a short round of gas, shitty water and a small number of stones thrown to disperse the demonstration dispersal weapons, the demonstrators returned to the village."