Manif a Um Salamoneh/ demonstration in Um Salamoneh (1)

(c) Anne Paq/tourbillonphoto.com

Four non violent demonstrators injured south of Bethlehem

Friday April 13, 2007 16:05 by Najeb Faraj - IMEMC News ghassanb at imemc dot org

A non violent demonstration against the illegal Israeli separation wall took place in the village of Juret Al sham'a near the southern the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

International and Israeli activists along with local villagers marched to the construction site of the wall that is being built on land confiscated from the village. Upon arrival, protesters tried to stop the bulldozers from destroying the villagers' farmland.

Soldiers attacked the protesters using batons, rifle butts and concussion grenades. 4 protesters were lightly wounded. Among those injured was Sami Awad, the director of the holy land trust, an organization that deals with non violence organizing.

One Palestinian protester was abducted by Israeli soldiers. Awad was also injured last week during a non violent demonstration near Bethlehem when a group of local activists backed by international and Israeli activists participated in another protest against the wall.

The Palestinian Minister of Information, Dr. Moustafah Barghouti, condemned the Israeli use of violence on the non violent demonstration, and assured that such non violent actions against the wall will continue.