International Day of Solidarity with Nablus

International Day of Solidarity with Nablus

1. Palestine Freedom March: Jenin to Jerusalem-Day #1 2. International Day of Solidarity in Nablus

1. PALESTINE FREEDOM MARCH: Jenin to Jerusalem Report Day #1

[ISM Media Office]Today, Friday the 30th, the March for Freedom began in Zububa, in the heartland of the northern West Bank. The march will continue for 21 days from village to village, along the route of the Apartheid Wall and ending in Jerusalem.

The much anticipated march began at 9:30 am and traveled on foot to Taiba where they spent two hours before continuing on to Anin. The marchers arrived in Taiba at approximately 11:30am. Although the Israeli army was present, they did not interfere with the march. Only when entering Taiba there was a short-lived encounter with Israeli border police near the school which is close to the Israeli fence. Palestinian youth spontaneously began to shake the fence and hang Palestinian flags. The Israeli border police responded by throwing sound bombs but the situation did not escalate.

Participants in the march include the Committee to Resist the Wall, The National and Islamic Forces, the Union of Palestine Medical Relief Committees, and popular committees and village councils of the 89 villages, towns and cities through which the march will pass. The International Solidarity Movement, the IWPS and Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall are participating in the march and joined the march in Zububa. Additional groups and organizations will join the march at different points along the route. Gush Shalom will be joining the march August 18 when it reaches Jerusalem.

Palestinians representing other areas in the West Bank also joined the march today. People from Budrus, Biddu and Tulkarem were present for the first day of the Freedom March and discussions took place in each village about the impact of the Wall on the lives of Palestinians and their communities.

It was estimated that 200-300 people joined the march from Zububa to Anin today. The participants in the March will stay in Anin tonight. Saturday morning the march will leave Anin for Khirbet Suruj.

In defiance of Israeli policies of separation, closure, land confiscation, home demolitions and other forms of collective punishment and oppression, the Freedom March is a national show of courage, and the commitment to fight for justice and self- determination for Palestinians.

2. International Day of Solidarity with Nablus Report

[Nablus] At 9:30am on Monday July 27th around 250 Palestinians and 50 ISM international activists met at the Mukatta in Nablus. Representatives of several Palestinian groups gave speeches highlighting the suffering caused by the blockade of Nablus by the Israeli Occupation Force. The demonstration then moved to the Huwwara checkpoint on the outskirts of Nablus. Additional troops had already been transferred to the checkpoint to confront the demonstrators.

The demonstration approached the checkpoint at 10:00 and met with initial aggression from a few Israeli soldiers. However, the group moved forward and demanded to be allowed to pass through the checkpoint. The army blocked the road with jeeps and armored personnel carriers. An attempt was made to detain a Palestinian demonstrator but this action was successfully blocked by members of the ISM.

Border police arrived and declared the checkpoint to be a closed military zone and demanded that the demonstrators withdraw from the area. The demonstrators then sat down at the checkpoint and occupied it for a further 30 minutes, singing and chanting. The demonstrators were not allowed to pass through the checkpoint and withdrew peacefully in order to avoid escalating the confrontation with the army and border police.

The demonstration was filmed by members of the border police and there is now concern that they may be planning reprisals against some of the Palestinian and International participants.

For more information and photos see http://www.palsolidarity.org

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