The Story of an Action.

Men ,women and children

Old women and school girls.

A little boy.

Palestinians. Internationals. Israelis. Unarmed but Dangerous to Public Opinion.

Clash With Israeli Defense Forces in defence of olive trees.

Some trees lost.

Some activists arrested.

It may appear to the Bullies that the Bullies have won.

But they have Not.

The spirit of resistence soared

From Budrus to Israel to me to you

In solidarity around the world:

Justice for Palestine in 2004.



Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 3:30 PM

Subject: [mashacamp] Story of action in Budrus today



Hi everyone

today was the most amazing anti-Apartheid Wall action in

Budrus village near Ramallah

Watch al jazeera tonite or check on their site

www.aljazeera.net

only 5 of us slept in the village last night

this morning we got woken up "they started to cut the olive

trees!"

we rushed to the fields

soldiers came out from every bush declaring a closed

military zone and blocking our way

Palestinians rushed to the mosque and made a call for

everyone to rush to the fields

hundreds of women, girls and shebab were marching directly

at the soldiers

we all started running down the hill towards the bulldozers

the soldiers went crazy, we were shouting at them in

english and there was one israeli activist shouting in

hebrew but they fired dozens of gas canisters and sound

bombs

the people kept pushing on, breaking through cactuses and

falling over rocks

soldiers shot a small boy in the leg

the people pushed on

al jazeera and other tv stations arrived

an old woman broke through the line of soldiers and started

running towards the bulldozer

it was still working, digging

it was totally scary

the soldiers were firing gas bombs right at us

the old woman threw herself into the hole that the

bulldozer had dug

some small girls still carrying school books started

sitting in the scooper and the hole

the people all rushed forward and pushed the soldiers back

to the road

they didn't manage to uproot all the trees

when we got to the road there was a standoff between the

people and the soldiers for three hours

all the time the small girls in their school uniforms were

in the front chanting, singing freedom songs and "Free Free

Palestine"

the soldiers left and the people started cheering

tomorrow the same thing starts again from 6am

hopefully to STOP THE WALL!!!

bye for now

Anna

****************

The bulldozers have reached the village of Budrus today, which will lose

much of its' lands and end up enclosed and imprisoned from all four

sides by the wall, along with the villages of Niyalin, Midya and Kibya.

The inhabitants of these villages, along with several international as

well as Israeli activists, have managed to stop the bulldozers today,

but army forces have promised to return tomorrow. People are urgently

needed to stay and help at the site.

The site can be reached by taking bus line 468, which goes to the

settlement of Beit Arie (this bus stops at Beit Arie at the following

hours: 5:30, 12:30, 14:00, 17:50 and 21:00), and requesting to get off

at the entrance to the settlement.

From there one should head back to the main road, from which it is

possible to hail a Palestinian taxi.

For more detailed instructions please call Yonnatan: 066 327736, Anat

053 365495 or Kate (English) 067 387806. I'ad, who lives in the village,

can also be reached: 067 924952

******************

Ha’aretz Update Wednesday, December 31, 2003 10:45 AM

8 people hurt, including 2 Israelis, in fence protest

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/378106.html

Hebrew: http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/378107.html

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspodent, Haaretz Service and Reuters

Israel Defense Forces troops shot and wounded at least eight people Wednesday, among them four Palestinians and two

Israelis, during in a protest at a construction site for the separation fence in the West Bank, witnesses said.

Two Border Policemen were also wounded by stones thrown at them by protestors.

The bulldozers moved into the Palestinian Christian village of Burdos, near Ramallah, on Tuesday, to begin preparing the

ground for a new segment of the fence, Israel Radio reported.

The clashes began Tuesday when several dozen protestors arrived at the site to stop the bulldozers from uprooting an olive

grove in the area, the radio said.

In Wednesday's incident, the 500 or so protestors threw stones at the bulldozers. Security forces responded with tear gas and

rubber bullets.

IDF sources said in response to the incident that soldiers had used "non-lethal means," not live ammunition, to disperse the

protesters.

At least six people were arrested, Israel Radio said.

The incident marks the second time in five days that IDF troops have opened fire at demonstrators gathered by the fence. On

December 26, soldiers shot and wounded one Israeli and one American protester.

Jonathan Pollak, a member of the Israeli Anarchists against the Wall organization, said that during Wednesday's incident,

soldiers fired at the mostly Palestinian protesters as well as Israelis and foreigners.

Many of the Palestinian protesters were detained as well as four Israelis, including the wounded woman, and four unidentified

foreigners, Pollak told Reuters.

He said that the foreign protesters included members of the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement and the

International Women's Peace Service group.

***********

URGENT CALL TO PREVENT DEPORTATION!

Four international activists (amongst them two from IWPS) and four Israeli activists were arrested today while trying to stop

bulldozers from uprooting trees in the West Bank village of Budrus. Budrus, together with the villages of Midya, N'ilin, and

Kibiya, is about to be imprisoned by the wall from all directions. The four Israelis were released after they agreed not to enter

the occupied territories for 14 days. The international activists, however, were transferred to Giv'at Zeev police station where

some have already had their hearings with a representative from the Ministry of Interior regarding their deportation. Kate

Raphael (from IWPS) had her hearing and they want to deport her. She will try any nonviolent measure to resist her

deportation, and is counting on your support. Pressure on the ministry and the minister are crucial. The four activists are:

Frederick Batzler

Katheryn Raphael (IWPS)

Gustav Fridolin

Kimberley Anne Gray (IWPS-Guest)

1. Prime MinisterAriel Sharon:

+972 (0) 2-670-5555

+972 (0) 2-566-4838

+972 (0) 2-670-5475

webmaster@pmo.gov.il

2. Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz

+972 (0) 3-697-6663

+972 (0) 3-697-6218

sar@mod.gov.il

3. Foreign Min. Silvan Shalom

+972 (0) 2-530-3531

+972 (0) 2-530-3506

sar@mofa.gov.il

4. Min. of InteriorAvraham Poraz

+972 (0) 2-670-1402

+972 (0) 2-566-6376

sar@moin.gov.il

5. US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer

+972 (0) 3-519-7575 (US Embassy in Israel)

webmaster@usembassy-israel.org.il

6. US President George W. Bush

+1 202-456-2461

president@whitehouse.gov

7. Secretary of State Colin Powell

+1 202-261-8577

secretary@state.gov

Thank you,

IWPS-Hares

+972 (0) 67 62 14 31 (IWPS-Dunya)

+972 (0) 92 51 66 44 (IWPS-Hares House)