Mass Demonstration Against The Wall In Budrus

International Womens Peace Service
Press Statement Wednesday 21 January 2003 7pm

Mass demonstration against the Wall in Budrus tomorrow,

Thursday 22 January, 2004

Tomorrow, in Budrus village, West Ramallah, Occupied Palestine, there will be a mass demonstration against the Wall at 12 noon.

The demonstration is supported by many Israeli organisations such as Rabbis for Human Rights and Anarchists against the Wall, and international activists from Denmark, England, France, South Africa, America, Canada and Jews against the Occupation New York.

The aims of the demonstration are:

* to take back the land illegally and unjustly bulldozed for the wall (two weeks ago, a beautiful family olive grove)

* to call for the International Court of Justice in the Hague to rule against the Wall

* to show the Israeli Occupation Forces that the village will not stop their peaceful resistance, despite being shot, beaten and jailed.

Budrus and the neighbouring villages of Nihilin, Qibbya, and Medea stand to lose 90% of their land to the Wall. The Wall is being built in a circle around these villages and there will only be one gate to let villagers in and out.

From the bad experience of other villages where gates remain almost permanently closed, Budrus residents fear a concentration camp style future.

Budrus village has managed to stop the building of the Wall through peaceful sit-ins on the land and the bulldozers. However, the response from the Israeli Occupation Forces has been extreme - over 60 villagers have been injured by rubber coated metal bullets, troops invade Budrus and open fire with live bullets, 10 activists are imprisoned (including young children), and women and children alike are beaten and heavily gassed at each demonstration.

The programme for tomorrow's demonstration is:

At 12 noon, hundreds of people will march together along the main road of Budrus and make their way down to the bulldozed land. The bulldozed land will then be replanted with new olive trees. There will then be a reading of a poem written by Ayed Morar who was snatched from his bed at 2am last week and has been imprisoned along with his brothers Na'eem and Abdelnasir Morar without charge ever since.

The international groups, including the International Solidarity Movement and IWPS are disgusted that Palestinians who participate in non-violent resistance are being snatched from their homes and jailed in this manner. A few days ago Abdelnasir was told to plead guilty to a charge of "letting international people sleep in his house". is a non-existent and absurd charge. Because he rightly refused, his detention period has been extended indefinitely. This It is quite clear that the State of Israel will next be jailing Palestinians for drinking tea or coffee with tourists.

For comment please call:

Budrus village - 066 339862
Rabbis for Human Rights - 050 607034
Denmark - Helle on 067 896714
Israeli Anarchists - 067 724519 or 066 327736
USA - Ethan on 066 478674 or S'ra on 067 862226
Jews against the Occupation - 053 471 226
France - Marie Jo on 067 823890
South Africa - Anna on 052 958 264
Canada - Peter on 056 385239
England - Jenny on 013447985023008

(Dialling from outside Palestine, drop the first 0 and add ++972)

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