The Story of an Action.

Men ,women and children
Old women and school girls.
A little boy.
Palestinians. Internationals. Israelis. Unarmed but Dangerous to Public Opinion.
Clash With Israeli Defense Forces in defence of olive trees.
Some trees lost.
Some activists arrested.

It may appear to the Bullies that the Bullies have won.
But they have Not.
The spirit of resistence soared
From Budrus to Israel to me to you
In solidarity around the world:
Justice for Palestine in 2004.


Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 3:30 PM
Subject: [mashacamp] Story of action in Budrus today


Hi everyone

today was the most amazing anti-Apartheid Wall action in
Budrus village near Ramallah
Watch al jazeera tonite or check on their site
 http://www.aljazeera.net

only 5 of us slept in the village last night
this morning we got woken up "they started to cut the olive
trees!"
we rushed to the fields
soldiers came out from every bush declaring a closed
military zone and blocking our way

Palestinians rushed to the mosque and made a call for
everyone to rush to the fields

hundreds of women, girls and shebab were marching directly
at the soldiers
we all started running down the hill towards the bulldozers
the soldiers went crazy, we were shouting at them in
english and there was one israeli activist shouting in
hebrew but they fired dozens of gas canisters and sound
bombs
the people kept pushing on, breaking through cactuses and
falling over rocks
soldiers shot a small boy in the leg
the people pushed on
al jazeera and other tv stations arrived
an old woman broke through the line of soldiers and started
running towards the bulldozer
it was still working, digging
it was totally scary
the soldiers were firing gas bombs right at us
the old woman threw herself into the hole that the
bulldozer had dug
some small girls still carrying school books started
sitting in the scooper and the hole
the people all rushed forward and pushed the soldiers back
to the road
they didn't manage to uproot all the trees
when we got to the road there was a standoff between the
people and the soldiers for three hours
all the time the small girls in their school uniforms were
in the front chanting, singing freedom songs and "Free Free
Palestine"
the soldiers left and the people started cheering
tomorrow the same thing starts again from 6am
hopefully to STOP THE WALL!!!

bye for now
Anna

****************
The bulldozers have reached the village of Budrus today, which will lose
much of its' lands and end up enclosed and imprisoned from all four
sides by the wall, along with the villages of Niyalin, Midya and Kibya.
The inhabitants of these villages, along with several international as
well as Israeli activists, have managed to stop the bulldozers today,
but army forces have promised to return tomorrow. People are urgently
needed to stay and help at the site.

The site can be reached by taking bus line 468, which goes to the
settlement of Beit Arie (this bus stops at Beit Arie at the following
hours: 5:30, 12:30, 14:00, 17:50 and 21:00), and requesting to get off
at the entrance to the settlement.
From there one should head back to the main road, from which it is
possible to hail a Palestinian taxi.
For more detailed instructions please call Yonnatan: 066 327736, Anat
053 365495 or Kate (English) 067 387806. I'ad, who lives in the village,
can also be reached: 067 924952

******************
Ha’aretz Update Wednesday, December 31, 2003 10:45 AM
8 people hurt, including 2 Israelis, in fence protest
 http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/378106.html
Hebrew:  http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/378107.html
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspodent, Haaretz Service and Reuters

Israel Defense Forces troops shot and wounded at least eight people Wednesday, among them four Palestinians and two
Israelis, during in a protest at a construction site for the separation fence in the West Bank, witnesses said.

Two Border Policemen were also wounded by stones thrown at them by protestors.

The bulldozers moved into the Palestinian Christian village of Burdos, near Ramallah, on Tuesday, to begin preparing the
ground for a new segment of the fence, Israel Radio reported.

The clashes began Tuesday when several dozen protestors arrived at the site to stop the bulldozers from uprooting an olive
grove in the area, the radio said.

In Wednesday's incident, the 500 or so protestors threw stones at the bulldozers. Security forces responded with tear gas and
rubber bullets.

IDF sources said in response to the incident that soldiers had used "non-lethal means," not live ammunition, to disperse the
protesters.

At least six people were arrested, Israel Radio said.

The incident marks the second time in five days that IDF troops have opened fire at demonstrators gathered by the fence. On
December 26, soldiers shot and wounded one Israeli and one American protester.

Jonathan Pollak, a member of the Israeli Anarchists against the Wall organization, said that during Wednesday's incident,
soldiers fired at the mostly Palestinian protesters as well as Israelis and foreigners.

Many of the Palestinian protesters were detained as well as four Israelis, including the wounded woman, and four unidentified
foreigners, Pollak told Reuters.

He said that the foreign protesters included members of the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement and the
International Women's Peace Service group.

***********
URGENT CALL TO PREVENT DEPORTATION!

Four international activists (amongst them two from IWPS) and four Israeli activists were arrested today while trying to stop
bulldozers from uprooting trees in the West Bank village of Budrus. Budrus, together with the villages of Midya, N'ilin, and
Kibiya, is about to be imprisoned by the wall from all directions. The four Israelis were released after they agreed not to enter
the occupied territories for 14 days. The international activists, however, were transferred to Giv'at Zeev police station where
some have already had their hearings with a representative from the Ministry of Interior regarding their deportation. Kate
Raphael (from IWPS) had her hearing and they want to deport her. She will try any nonviolent measure to resist her
deportation, and is counting on your support. Pressure on the ministry and the minister are crucial. The four activists are:

Frederick Batzler
Katheryn Raphael (IWPS)
Gustav Fridolin
Kimberley Anne Gray (IWPS-Guest)

******

We suspect that deportation is imminent for the four internationals arrested yesterday in Budrus. They are still counting on international support; calls from overseas can make a difference!! Please contact the Ministry of Interior at +972 (0) 26 70 14 00 and ask to speak to Raz Godelnik, who is in charge of such matters. If he is not in (which is likely) you can speak to his secretary, Dorit, to voice your concerns. She will be in starting at noon today (5am EST [US], 10am GMT). Make your appeals personal, saying your relationship to the activist, and perhaps mentioning the following:

1. The activists have not received due process. By an Israeli law called "Beit Din Lemeeshmoret," arrestees who ask to appeal for a proper hearing are not allowed to be deported for three days.

2. The activists are peaceful people, arrested during a peaceful, nonviolent demonstration.

If you are calling about Kate, you can mention that she is Jewish, and that she has come from the US to work closely with Israelis in an educational project aimed at supporting Israelis in learning about life in tivihe Occupied Territories and establishing communication among Israelis about the situation. Her work is extremely valuable.

Donations for their legal funds are welcome.

To donate from the UK, send cheque or money order to:
IWPS
Valley Farmhouse
East Runton
Cromer, Norfolk. NR27 9PN

or give by standing order.

In the US, send checks payable to IWPS (or for tax deduction, to Middle East Children's Alliance, notation for IWPS) to:
International Women's Peace Service
2018 Shattuck Avenue, PMB 122
Berkeley, CA 94704

In Canada, send checks payable to IWPS-Palestine (or "NECEF" for tax receipt) to:
IWPS
7278 - 208 Street
Langley, B.C., V2Y 1T6

In Austria (Osterreich), to:
IWPS-Palaestina
Hypobank, Blz 58000
Kontonummer: 10.340935.018

In Germany (Deutschland), to:
Hypobank, Blz 733 11 600
Kontonummer: 0340935.018


Thanks
1. Prime MinisterAriel Sharon:
+972 (0) 2-670-5555
+972 (0) 2-566-4838
+972 (0) 2-670-5475
 webmaster@pmo.gov.il

2. Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz
+972 (0) 3-697-6663
+972 (0) 3-697-6218
 sar@mod.gov.il

3. Foreign Min. Silvan Shalom
+972 (0) 2-530-3531
+972 (0) 2-530-3506
 sar@mofa.gov.il

4. Min. of InteriorAvraham Poraz
+972 (0) 2-670-1402
+972 (0) 2-566-6376
 sar@moin.gov.il

5. US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer
+972 (0) 3-519-7575 (US Embassy in Israel)
 webmaster@usembassy-israel.org.il

6. US President George W. Bush
+1 202-456-2461
 president@whitehouse.gov

7. Secretary of State Colin Powell
+1 202-261-8577
 secretary@state.gov

Thank you,

IWPS-Hares

+972 (0) 67 62 14 31 (IWPS-Dunya)

+972 (0) 92 51 66 44 (IWPS-Hares House)