STOP THE WALL. Renewed Destruction in Biddu Village
Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign | 12.04.2004 09:09 | Anti-militarism | World
Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign
April 11th, 2004
Renewed Destruction in Biddu Village, Forced Expulsion, and Landlessness in the North.
Latest News
Work Restarts in Biddu, Villagers Injured in Protests
On April 8th, people from the village of Biddu, as well as several neighboring villages north west of Jerusalem confronted Occupation Bulldozers destroying their lands for the Wall's path. Villagers gathered early in the morning, as work on the Wall started, and headed towards the lands being destroyed. Occupation soldiers immediately began firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators, who were quickly surrounded, with soldiers taking up positions on the rooftops of several village homes. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Landlessness in Qaffin
Qaffin is located 25 km to the north of Tulkarem city. Before 1948 the total area of the village was 30,000 dunums. During the 1948 Occupation the village lost 20,000 dunums of its lands. Last Year, the village lost 6500 dunums more of the remaining 10,000 dunums with the construction of The Apartheid Wall. Moreover, another 500 dunums of the village's lands were recently lost inside a fence built around Harmish settlement. Occupation forces have always claimed that the villagers are able to reach their isolated lands, whether behind the Wall or inside the settlements fence, however, the people report that they've been prohibited several times from reaching their lands, particularly within the settlement fence. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Forced Expulsion, and Gate Closures in Jayyus
On March 28th, Occupation forces attacked a group of farmers while they worked in their fields, forcing them at gunpoint out of their lands, destroying the food and agricultural equipment the farmers had with them. Similarly, on April 4th Occupation soldiers forced another two families who were in lands east of the Wall to leave their lands, claiming that the fields were too close to the Wall. The soldiers informed the villagers that in the future they wouldn't be allowed to use these lands for any reason whatsoever. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Occupation Forces Invade Marda Looking for Toy Guns
On April 11th, Occupation forces invaded Marda's boys school looking for toy weapons. A group of students were in the middle of performing a play, with the rest of the student body and their parents in the audience. At approximately 12:00pm five military jeeps arrived, and surrounded the school preventing anyone from leaving. Occupation soldiers entered the school, and demanded that the students produce a toy gun the children where using in their performance. Young children, students and their parents were held until the toy was handed over to the Soldiers. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Community Voices
Ahmad Nimer – Beit Liqya
"My land is located in an area where many peoples lands where confiscated in 1993. During that year I was in prison, and when I was released in 1994 I gave all my time to protect my land from any further attempts to confiscate more. The Occupation forces tried different ways to prevent us from reaching our lands, they would shoot at us while we were heading to the land, or while working in it. Nevertheless we resisted and continued to go to our lands and plant our fields." [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Video
Renewed Destruction for the Apartheid Wall in Biddu
April 07, 2004. After forcing protesters away from the Apartheid Wall construction site in Biddu village, work continued unhindered, with Occupation forces continuing their assault against the villagers, ensuring they didn't interfere. This 52 second video shows the extent of the destruction to village lands, with several Occupation bulldozers clearing land, while others work to "replant" olive trees, after having butchered them of all their branches a few hours earlier. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
International Law
International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid
This week the Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign posted the UN convention pertaining to the crime of Apartheid in it's entirety. Having been in existance for almost 30 years, the convention states clearly that Apartheid is a crime against humanity, and thereby not confined soley to South Africa, but rather to any country that institutes policies and practices of racial segregation and discrimination.
"Observing that the Security Council has emphasized that apartheid and its continued intensification and expansion seriously disturb and threaten international peace and security, Convinced that an International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid would make it possible to take more effective measures at the international and national levels with a view to the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid." [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Did you know...
Put our Latest News on Your Website!
You can easily add headlines from www.stopthewall.org to your website, using our webfeed generator, a user friendly tool that helps you add our headlines to your webpage. All that's required for you to do is to cut and paste some simple HTML onto your site. You'll only need to add this HTML once, but the headlines will stay current, updating the same second we update ours. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
April 11th, 2004
Renewed Destruction in Biddu Village, Forced Expulsion, and Landlessness in the North.
Latest News
Work Restarts in Biddu, Villagers Injured in Protests
On April 8th, people from the village of Biddu, as well as several neighboring villages north west of Jerusalem confronted Occupation Bulldozers destroying their lands for the Wall's path. Villagers gathered early in the morning, as work on the Wall started, and headed towards the lands being destroyed. Occupation soldiers immediately began firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators, who were quickly surrounded, with soldiers taking up positions on the rooftops of several village homes. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Landlessness in Qaffin
Qaffin is located 25 km to the north of Tulkarem city. Before 1948 the total area of the village was 30,000 dunums. During the 1948 Occupation the village lost 20,000 dunums of its lands. Last Year, the village lost 6500 dunums more of the remaining 10,000 dunums with the construction of The Apartheid Wall. Moreover, another 500 dunums of the village's lands were recently lost inside a fence built around Harmish settlement. Occupation forces have always claimed that the villagers are able to reach their isolated lands, whether behind the Wall or inside the settlements fence, however, the people report that they've been prohibited several times from reaching their lands, particularly within the settlement fence. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Forced Expulsion, and Gate Closures in Jayyus
On March 28th, Occupation forces attacked a group of farmers while they worked in their fields, forcing them at gunpoint out of their lands, destroying the food and agricultural equipment the farmers had with them. Similarly, on April 4th Occupation soldiers forced another two families who were in lands east of the Wall to leave their lands, claiming that the fields were too close to the Wall. The soldiers informed the villagers that in the future they wouldn't be allowed to use these lands for any reason whatsoever. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Occupation Forces Invade Marda Looking for Toy Guns
On April 11th, Occupation forces invaded Marda's boys school looking for toy weapons. A group of students were in the middle of performing a play, with the rest of the student body and their parents in the audience. At approximately 12:00pm five military jeeps arrived, and surrounded the school preventing anyone from leaving. Occupation soldiers entered the school, and demanded that the students produce a toy gun the children where using in their performance. Young children, students and their parents were held until the toy was handed over to the Soldiers. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Community Voices
Ahmad Nimer – Beit Liqya
"My land is located in an area where many peoples lands where confiscated in 1993. During that year I was in prison, and when I was released in 1994 I gave all my time to protect my land from any further attempts to confiscate more. The Occupation forces tried different ways to prevent us from reaching our lands, they would shoot at us while we were heading to the land, or while working in it. Nevertheless we resisted and continued to go to our lands and plant our fields." [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Video
Renewed Destruction for the Apartheid Wall in Biddu
April 07, 2004. After forcing protesters away from the Apartheid Wall construction site in Biddu village, work continued unhindered, with Occupation forces continuing their assault against the villagers, ensuring they didn't interfere. This 52 second video shows the extent of the destruction to village lands, with several Occupation bulldozers clearing land, while others work to "replant" olive trees, after having butchered them of all their branches a few hours earlier. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
International Law
International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid
This week the Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign posted the UN convention pertaining to the crime of Apartheid in it's entirety. Having been in existance for almost 30 years, the convention states clearly that Apartheid is a crime against humanity, and thereby not confined soley to South Africa, but rather to any country that institutes policies and practices of racial segregation and discrimination.
"Observing that the Security Council has emphasized that apartheid and its continued intensification and expansion seriously disturb and threaten international peace and security, Convinced that an International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid would make it possible to take more effective measures at the international and national levels with a view to the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid." [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Did you know...
Put our Latest News on Your Website!
You can easily add headlines from www.stopthewall.org to your website, using our webfeed generator, a user friendly tool that helps you add our headlines to your webpage. All that's required for you to do is to cut and paste some simple HTML onto your site. You'll only need to add this HTML once, but the headlines will stay current, updating the same second we update ours. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]
Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign
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DEMONSTRATION AGAINST GHETTOIZATION
12.04.2004 09:37
For Immediate Release
Palestinians, Israelis and internationals march against the Wall
[Biddu, NW Jerusalem] The Palestinian communities of NW Jerusalem villages invite you to join them this Thursday, April 15, 2004 at 11:30AM for a demonstration against the destruction of trees, confiscation of land and water resources, and ghettoization of their community as the Israeli government builds a wall that will destroy the future of Palestinians on their land.
For the past two months NW Jerusalem residents of Biddu, Beit Surik, Qattana, and other villages have been using their voices and their bodies to resist the destruction of their land and the Israeli government’s plan to build a wall around their villages, cutting them off from their farmland, and creating an impoverished ghetto out of their community. Dozens of Palestinians, internationals and Israeli peace activists have been injured and arrested in demonstrations that have been violently attacked by the Israeli military. On February 26, Israeli soldiers’ attack on demonstrators in the village of Biddu, led to the shooting death of 3 unarmed Palestinian young men and the death of an elderly demonstrator, who suffered a heart attack after inhaling a large amount of tear gas.
Over the past week, the Israeli military has been invading the village of Biddu with large forces, wielding M16s, tear gas, sound bombs and batons, accompanying bulldozers and chainsaws that have destroyed dozens of trees with a vengeance. The community of NW Jerusalem is asking for your help and participation in their struggle against the destruction of their land and livelihood.
DATE: Thursday, April 15, 2004
TIME: 11:30AM
PLACE: Biddu - Meet at Village Council
For more information, please contact:
Mohammed: +972.67.395.422
Mansour: +972.55.804.830
Neal: +972.66.346.165
ISM Media Office: +972.22.77.46.02
For reports and photos of previous actions and community efforts in Biddu, please see: http://www.palsolidarity.org/reports/journals_reports_main.php
END
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
ism media office
Homepage: http://www.palsolidarity.org
Let's hope so
12.04.2004 20:05
RedTrevor