International and Palestinian Peace Activists Attacked Again

12/27/01

 

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
December 27, 2001

Peace Activists Attacked Again

[Ramallah, Palestine] Over 250 foreign civilians, from England, France, Italy and the United States, joined hundreds of Palestinians in an NGO-organized march against occupation in Ramallah today. Carrying banners denouncing the Israeli occupation of Palestine and calling for peace and justice, the campaigners marched through Ramallah, past the headquarters of President Yasser Arafat towards a neighborhood of Ramallah under tight military siege.

The procession was met with Israeli tanks, APCs and military jeeps. Israeli soldiers attacked the group with tear gas, concussion grenades and live ammunition fired over the heads of the demonstrators. Twenty-five civilians are reported injured, including 10 European activists.

Today’s attack is one more in a string of violent responses by the Israeli Occupation Forces to peaceful protests and non-violent resistance to the brutality of Israeli occupation.

For more information, please contact: Palestinian Network of NGOs (PNGO) at +9722-296-3847 or pngonet@p-ol.com, or Huwaida at +972-52-642-709, huwaidaa@yahoo.com END

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is comprised of local Palestinian and foreign civilians working to raise awareness of the Palestinian plight for freedom and an end to Israeli military occupation. We call on Israel to immediately implement UN Resolutions and abide by international law. We urge the United Nations and our respective governments to take decisive action to ensure Israel's compliance therewith.