10 Irish Citizens Under Fire in Bilin in the West Bank

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Friday February 29, 2008 22:08 by Monica

Unjustified violence at peaceful protest

A group of 10 Irish citizens came under fire in the town of Bilin near Ramallah in the West Bank during a peaceful protest earlier today.

A group of 10 Irish citizens came under fire in the town of Bilin near Ramallah in the West Bank earlier today. The group who were taking part in the weekly peaceful protest were on an eight day intercultural, fact-finding trip in Palestine.

The incident took place as the group of up to 100 people including Palestinians, Israeli refusniks, Brazilians and Norwegians reached the Apartheid Wall - the Israeli Supreme Court itself has ruled that the area beyond it is Palestinian land.
Two Palestinian protestors pulled back a length of barbed wire and opened the gate at the Wall to hold up a symbollic coffin containing a child's body to highlight the recent killings in Gaza.

A column of Israeli soldiers then opened fire at close range with rubber bullets and tear gas injuring 2 Palestinians. The UPMRC (Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees) were on standby to stretcher the injured away. The soldiers continued to fire at and pursue the dispersed crowd injuring a further two Palestinians. The Irish group attempted to take cover in nearby fields where they were eventually flanked by Israeli soldiers. They were stopped and surrounded for approx. 15 minutes before the soldiers allowed them to leave.