Dozens suffered gas inhalation in Anti-wall protest in Ni’lin

Friday September 26, 2008 18:29 by George Rishmawi - IMEMC News

Dozens were treated for gas inhalation in the village of Ni’lin near the west Bank city of Ramallah Friday afternoon during an anti-wall protest.

Archive Photo from Ni'lin

The Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in the village organized a nonviolent protest after the Friday prayer. Israeli troops who came to the village did not allow the protestors to reach their land slated for confiscation for the wall to be built on.

As the protesters came close to the land, the soldiers showered them with dozens of C.S. gas canisters, causing many of them to choke.

During the Friday prayer, the preacher called the worshippers to unite and to continue the struggle against the Israeli military occupation.

On their part, the popular committee in the village said in a press release that the villagers should boycott the permits that the Israeli requests the farmers to obtain in order to enter their property that is slated for confiscation.

Meanwhile, Salah el-Khawaja, spokesperson of the committee told IMEMC that there will be a campaign to protect the farmers while attempting to harvest their olive trees from settler and military assaults.

On Tuesday, Ahed al-Khawaja, member of the popular committee in Ni’lin suffered facial injuries as Israeli troops fired gas bombs and concussion grenades at him he was accompanying a delegation from the European Union visiting the village.

According to a press release by the Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign sent to IMEMC al-Khawaja sustained serious injuries as one of the grenades hit him in his face causing him a fracture in the nose and burns and bruises in the face and eyes.

Khawaja was transported to the Sheikh Zayed hospital in Ramallah for medical treatment. Doctors estimate that he needs at least a week to begin the recovery process.

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