Ashraf Abu Rahmah, Bilin April 20th
Bilin April 20th. Author is at left with mask; Haitham al Katib is in foreground, back turned
The weekly demonstration against the wall, in Bil’in West of Ramallah continued as it always does for the last 7 years last Friday; although this time there was a special addition to the march and demo at the wall. Ashraf Abu Rahmah who was released earlier in the week joined the local citizens of Bil’in and other International activists. Ashraf Abu Rahmah who was previously detained for 6 months at Ofer prison waved his Palestinian flag proudly through the streets of Bil’in alongside many family and friends in solidarity with the prisoners currently in detention.
Other notes to mention was this week’s demonstration theme: a tent was pitched up in the middle of the field on land that had been illegally confiscated by Israel for the use of illegal settlements and which was later returned to Bil’in residents after many years of peaceful demonstrations and a court ruling. This act is to show protest and solidarity against the many prisoners currently in Israeli jails who are there under administrative detention and false charges. Amazingly the tent is still up and was not destroyed by Israeli occupation force soldiers. The tent is currently housing activist and citizens of Bil’in who are also staging a hunger strike, and sit in as another example of solidarity with prisoners at Israeli jails.
As citizens began the peaceful demonstration, occupation force soldiers shot “rubber bullets” at participants and spilled chemical filled water against them, international photojournalist, Hamdi Abu Rahmah, was one of the three photojournalists arrested at today’s demonstration, alongside other photographers, Haitham AlKhatib, and Ali Abu Rahmah. No other instances were reported this week of any serious injuries.
As usual the demonstrations in Bil’in will continue as they have for the past 7 years until all of the wall is brought down and the land of Bil’in is returned to its rightful owners
