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On April 27th, 2007 Holy Land Trust in cooperation with the Popular Committee against the Wall in the South of Bethlehem Villages held their weekly nonviolent demonstration.
A mass demonstration was organized against the Annexation Wall around the settlements of Gush Etzion and Efrata.
Residents of all areas affected by the wall – starting from Beit-Jala, Al- Walaja and Battir in the North of Bethlehem to Umm Salamoneh, Beit Ummar, Surif and Al-Jab'a in the South of Bethlehem– in addition to International and Israeli activists took part in this nonviolent protest against the expansion of the settlements in that area. The demonstrators held balloons with the four colors of the Palestinian flag as well as holding signs that call for stopping the erection of the illegal Wall.
After Friday’s midday prayer, around 300 people gathered in the lands of Umm Salamoneh where the demonstration started towards route 60 in opposition to Efrata settlement.
Major General Jibril Rajoub made a speech on lands that belong to Al-Khader villagers where he pointed out to Israel’s no intentions to making peace on this land since it still insists on destroying the Palestinian lands and constructing the Apartheid Wall whereas Mr. Qais Abdulkarim, “Abu Leila” a member of the Legislative Council considered the construction of the Wall a violation to all the international conventions and called upon all the international organizations, especially the United Nations, to interfere and to stop the Wall from being constructed.
Mr. Sami Awad, the Executive Director of Holy Land Trust talked about the purpose of this demonstration and its importance in sending out a message to the settlers, that they are unwanted here on our Palestinian lands, he also reiterated that the Wall is being built for Israel’s own benefit in order to seize more Palestinian lands and annex it to the illegal settlements.
A huge force of Israeli soldiers later on blocked the demonstrators and prevented them from marching on the road that leads to Efrata Settlement; they also attacked and pushed many participants aggressively. After the demonstration was over Israeli soldiers intended to harass and stop some activists, international volunteers and journalists in a way of pushing them not to join any other demonstrations in the future.