After we finished our tea and coffee and food, Yoram and Abed and us set off to the site of the demonstration. Abed gave us a ride in his car. Yoram hopped on his motorbike, and gave a ride to Nasser. A Palestinian and an Israeli, preparing together to go off and fight yet another battle together against an unjust and illegal occupation
.
We got to the site, which is a path that goes through fields of olive trees and cacti. It is a Friday, so the men and boys and teenagers of the village went under a tent, where a religious leader gave a sermon and then they all prayed.
There was a portrait of Ahmed Musa hanging on a tree, and in another part a picture of the Dawabsheh family, who were burned alive in their home by settlers last year.
Walking along the road and in the olive groves, I could not help notice the metal teargas canisters and teargas grenades scattered throughout the area. By the time the day was done, there would be even more.
Afterwards, the demonstration began. The purpose was to walk towards the wall, on the other side of which is one of the several settlements that surround the village, as well as confiscated land.
We did not get very far until we saw the military waiting for us. Two vehicles, one a jeep and another one with the long range canisters on it- the "Venom" truck. There were six Border Police officers that I could see immediately, with others quite possibly out of sight.
Abed tried leading the people to walk down the road, but the Border Police pointed their guns and teargas canisters at them, forcing us all to jump off the road in case they fired. Some Palestinians yelled at the soldiers, demanding permission to go through. In response they made a show of loading their weapons.
The march was called off, and pretty soon afterwards, some of the shebab moved in. They did not stand among the marchers, but began throwing rocks at the Border Police from the olive groves to the left of the road. Abed and Yoram moved off the road to the olive groves on the right, and through the microphone began to try talking to them.
Abed later told me he encouraged the Border Police to go back to school, get a decent job, and stop serving leaders to whom they mean nothing. He reminded them of an Israeli soldier who was filmed shooting a wounded Palestinian man in the head in Hebron, saying that once they become known to the world as war criminals they will never be able to travel anywhere. He told them to let the people pass.
Abed singled out a female officer, telling her that there is no reason that she and his daughter could not go to the same college and be friends. He asked her why she is in a uniform and terrorizing his people.
Amazingly, the soldiers for a while ignored the kids and young men throwing rocks, and shot teargas in his direction. Priority on shutting him up was placed higher than on the rocks flying their way, which for the most part missed or bounced off their helmets and truck.
Ironically, one of the Border Police took horrible aim and accidentally teargassed his buddies. I have to admit that it provided a bit of a comic relief to us all.
The soldiers then turned on the shebab, shooting teargas their way as well as "foam tipped bullets". Like "rubber bullets", despite the sanitized name they do nothing but serious harm. One of them hit a young man in the hand, breaking it. I saw a medic tending to him, as he lay on the ground and grimaced in pain.
It was the fifth time in two years that I had seen a person getting shot... and each of them was in Palestine. He did not want a photo to be taken, fearing he will be arrested. I was very shaken up for hours after this incident. I cannot begin to imagine what his family is going through.
The soldiers also shot rubber coated steel bullets, which could be heard as they flew in the air.
The clashes between the Border Police and shebab continued for almost two hours.
During the confrontation, Abed and Yoram managed to leave far from the area and walk through the fields to another hill, where they came across as surprised group of Israeli Army soldiers. Unlike the officers from the Border Police, these soldiers were very young and looked at Abed and Yoram in uncertainty. He approached them with his megaphone and began speaking to them, in Hebrew of course. He relayed the same message to them that he relayed to the Border Police.
Uncertain what to do, they listened to him nervously and some touched their weapons, but didn't threaten to shoot. Looking completely confused and scared, one of them got on his army phone and called a superior for advice.
After a few minutes, Yoram and Abed left. We walked back with them to the road where the shebab and Border Police were still fighting, making sure to not be in the line of fire.
After some time, the clashes died down and people left.
Almost two hours of fighting in the hot sun, with a young man suffering a broken hand.
All because of the greed of some people who see theft of people's property as something that is OK to do, and the cruelty of others who are willing to maim and injure and kill to preserve the status quo.
It could have been worse. Last week, Abed said, the soldiers fired teargas like crazy. According to Abed, perhaps one reason they did not was the presence of a certain Palestinian journalist who has gained fame for his coverage of the occupation. Seeing the cameras, the military decided to be on "better" behaviour.
Of course, stopping what started off as an entirely peaceful march with threats of violence that helped kick off a clash that lasted for almost two hours and left a man with a broken hand was all part of the day's work.
In greatest likelihood these events will repeat themselves, unfortunately, in no more than a week.
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