Three injured, including medic, at the Nil'in weekly protest

Saturday November 14, 2009 01:51 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Scores of villagers from Nil'in village, central West Bank, protested the Israeli wall on Friday. The military attacked the protest and injured three civilians. Witnesses say that one of the three was a medic who was trying to aid protesters suffering from tear gas inhalation.

The army attacks nonviolent protesters in the West Bank - photo by Haytham Al katyeb 2009

The people of Nil'in performed the Friday prayer on the land next to the Nil'in health clinic, where Imam Salah Mohammad Tayeh praised late Palestinian leader and symbol Yasser Arafat and the youth from Nil'in who were killed by the Israeli forces.

After the prayer, the people of Nil'in, accompanied by international and Israeli activists marched to the Wall carrying Palestinian flags and posters of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, calling for Palestinian unity and an end to the Israeli policies of violence and aggression against the Palestinian people.

Israeli troops immediately started fire tear gas, rubber coated steel bullets and also live ammunition at protesters.

However, a group of youth managed to cut up parts of the fence and partially damage the gate. Then the army surprised them by coming into the fields from three different sides, closing in on a group of around 100 demonstrators.

The army was shooting live ammunition from a distance of less than 3 meters. The crowded dispersed and two people sustained minor injuries from grazing shots. One medical volunteer was beaten up by an Israeli soldier. Eyewitnesses identified hi as Mohamed Ali Sabti from the village.

ramallah | non-violent action | news report ghassan at imemc dot org