Protesters Carry Photos of ISM Activist During Weekly Nil'in Protest One Year On From Injury

Friday March 12, 2010 23:27

by Circare Parrhessia - IMEMC News & Agencies

Dozens of protesters were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation, this Friday, following the weekly demonstration in the central West Bank village of Nil’in, near Ramallah.

file 2009

Nil’in’s weekly protest continued, this week, with ongoing support from members from the international and Israeli communities. After midday prayers at lands slated for confiscation, the protesters moved forward to the already confiscated lands, where owners attempted to plough.

When the protesters arrived at the gate of the wall, the Israeli military responded to their presence with a volley of tear gas canisters and stun grenades. Following the storming of the protesters, one farmer was detained by the troops.

During the protest March banners and flags were displayed, along with photos of Tristan Anderson. Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Mr. Anderson’s serious injury during an anti-wall protest in Ni’lin.

Mr. Anderson was shot in the head by a tear gas canister by a member of the Israeli military, requiring the removal of part of his frontal lobe, initially, and further surgeries in an attempt to correct ongoing fluid leakage in his brain. Mr. Anderson remains in a critical condition at Sheba Medical Center one year on from his near-fatal wounding, and Israeli daily, Haaretz revealed, this week, that the state of Israel would reopen investigations into the incident.

Mr. Anderson’s attorney, Michael Sfard, complained that the discontinuation of the investigation was “negligent” and revealed major discrepancies between the state’s work and his own shadow investigation, including Israel’s failure to interview the border police that were alleged to have been involved in the incident.

It should be noted that the canister can be fired over 400 meters and weighs 130 grams. Eye witness reports stated that the canister was shot at Mr. Anderson from a distance of approximately 60 meters, and that the firing of gas continued despite the obvious severity of his injuries.