Police Protect Settlers, Attack Protesters, After Invasion Of Palestinian House In East Jerusalem
By Michael Galvin
30 July, 2009
Countercurrents.org
On Sunday, July 26th at 12:30pm, three internationals, one Israeli and two Palestinians, including the former Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, were arrested in an attempt to block settlers from entering a Palestinian home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. As they were arrested, settlers entered the home and began to destroy the house from the inside, as they plan to build a new house for Jewish settlers on the site. At 3:30pm three internationals tried to enter the Palestinian home to stop the destruction and were also put under arrest. A protest in solidarity with the arrestees and against the actions of the settlers was called for at 4pm on Monday.
The scene at 4pm on Monday is relatively calm with people videotaping the activities of the settlers and chanting pro-Palestinian slogans outside the tin barrier put up by the settlers along the perimeter of the pedestrian path in the center of the neighborhood. Roughly 60 protesters are present, about 1/2 Palestinian and 1/2 international. Young Palestinians set off fireworks nearby and bang on the tin wall making loud clanging noises. The approximately 15 police and 10 border police present for the settlers' "protection" from the beginning of the protest begin to react more and more violently as the protest continues, threatening the kids with violence by lifting their hands as if about to hit them. Despite a court order ordering the settlers not to work or build on the land of the Palestinian home they destroyed, the settlers move building materials into the house from outside - on two occasions with the help of the police - despite cries from the Palestinians that they were breaking the court order.
Between 4:30 and 5pm, one settler provocatively exits the zone two times to get tools. Each time the police force their way through the crowd, pushing people aside, at times violently. The settler laughs as he moves through the crowd and protesters scream "fascist." Roughly 15 more police enter the occupied house's yard during this period bringing the total to around 40 or 50.
At 5:42pm as the protest gets more agitated, 10 to 12 police, unannounced, charge the crowd attacking a small boy and pouncing on a Palestinian woman, Huda Imam, who was leading the anti-settler chants. Imam is thrown to the ground as at least five officers hold her down and twist her arm behind her back. She is the only arrest of the afternoon. Witnesses also report seeing people trampled during the assault, and an Israeli was held and dragged by the neck after earlier attempting to negotiate with the police. Chaos ensues following the charge and the protest is split into two; both halves are further separated from the settlers who were taunting, laughing and sticking out their tongues at protesters earlier in the afternoon.
At 5:47pm police intimidate international activists near the van holding Imam by threatening to arrest them if they do not show their passports.
Originally from St. Louis, MO, Michael Galvin attended a liberal arts college in Minnesota from 2004-2008 where he worked with groups mobilizing against the Iraq War. He is currently in the West Bank working with organizations against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. For more information contact [email protected] or go to www.mdgalvin.wordpress.com.
