Palestine: March along the Apartheid Wall continues
Israeli Army Arrests New York Activist on Freedom March; Blocks Entry to Israelis

09.08.2004

[Alain Ah-Vee, member of Lalit, Mauritius, is participating in Freedom March along the Apartheid Wall.]

International Solidarity Movement alerts

August 8, 2004
Israeli Army Arrests New York Activist on Freedom March; Blocks Entry to Israelis

Sunday, August 8, the Freedom March of Palestinians and Internationals left Qalqilya around 10:00am. They were joined by approximately thirty additional internationals after spending Saturday in Qalqilya and surrounding villages.

At around 6:00pm as the Freedom March arrived at a gate in the fence section of the Apartheid Wall, which also serves as a checkpoint between the village of Azzun Atmah and Beit Amin, they witnessed 15-20 young Palestinian men being detained by the Israeli Army.

The Freedom Marchers demanded that the men be released and refused to leave until they were set free. They then sat down in the road and chanted. They were surrounded by eight army jeeps and hummers. After five minutes the Israeli soldiers attempted to physically drag internationals away.

Although the Freedom Marchers tried to protect each other non-violently, they managed to detain Karl Breyman, a 23 year-old peace
activist from New York. The marchers believe they targeted him for detention because he had led the negotiations with the soldiers as
well as the chants during the protest of those already detained.

Karl was taken to Ariel Police Station where he is at the time of this report, 10:00PM local time.

All but four of the young Palestinians detained at the checkpoint were released after the Freedom Marchers protested their being held
by the army. The last two Palestinians were released by 9:30pm and told the Freedom Marchers that they had been detained at the
checkpoint for over 24 hours.

While the Freedom March continued to Beit Amin, in Nablus the Israeli Army decended upon a Debke Festival of at least 1500
Palestinian men, women and children and a group of internationals, including volunteers with ISM. They threw sound grenades to
disperse the crowd, for no reason and then continued to patrol the area in order to prevent the festival from continuing.


Friday, August 6, 2004
Freedom March Stopped by Israeli Army in Search for Israelis

Friday, late afternoon, the Freedom March was stopped by the Israeli Army as they approached Qalqilya. The Army demanded that each
marcher hand in their identity cards and passports in order to identify any person with Israeli citizenship. Israelis are
prohibited from entering Area A in the West Bank.

The Freedom Marchers decided to protest the policy of not allowing Israelis into Area A of the West Bank and refused to hand over their
passports and identity cards. This policy has several consequences. Israelis are unable to witness the conditions Palestinians live
under military occupation and the suffering imposed as a result of the construction of the Apartheid Wall. In addition, Palestinians
living within the 48 borders are separated from families and friends and unable to visit loved ones.

Freedom Marchers chose instead to hold up their identification in order to continue on to Qalqilya, making it clear that they oppose
the military order that prohibits Israelis from entering areas of the West Bank. The march then continued toward Qalqilya.

Upon arrival they were informed that the Israeli Army had entered Jayyus around 8:00pm that evening placing the entire area under
curfew. They randomly shot canisters of tear gas and threw sound bombs at the men, women and children. Four pregnant women,
attending a wedding party were taken to the hospital as a result of tear gas inhalation.

In the past the Israeli Army has singled out and consistently attacked the people of Jayyus because of their resistance to the
Apartheid Wall. On Friday they attacked Jayyus after the Freedom March had passed through.


For photos of the Freedom March see: www.palsolidarity.org