For almost five years, the residents of Bil’in have been organizing weekly non-violent protests against the wall Israel is building which cuts them off from 60% of their land.

In these creative and peaceful demonstrations, villagers and international supporters walk together to the wall, where they are routinely met with tear gas, sound bombs, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition from the Israeli army.

The Israeli government has been taking steps to crush the growing Palestinian nonviolent movement. Nineteen peaceful protesters have been killed in demonstrations against the wall.

In the last three months, the Israeli army has arrested 29 residents of Bil’in for participating in demonstrations, 12 of whom are children. The arrests are made during night raids, in which hundreds of Israeli soldiers enter the village, wearing combat paint and masks.

Last Monday, villagers and supporters of Bil’in gathered outside Ofer military prison to show solidarity and to demonstrate that they will not be discouraged from non-violent resistance.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

Nineteen residents are currently being held in the prison.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

Twelve of those arrested in the last three months have been children.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

Ashraf Abu Rahme, known as the village’s Che Guevara, hangs the Palestinian flag. In April Ashraf’s brother, Bassem, was shot dead by an Israeli soldier at the village’s weekly non-violent demonstration.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

An Israeli soldier swiftly removed the flag.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

A mother from Bil’in holds a photograph of her imprisoned son.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

Demonstrators called for leaders in the Israeli army to be arrested for their war crimes, rather than non-violent protestors.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

Many children in the village live in constatnt panic, having witnessed armed and masked Israeli soldiers breaking into their houses at night and arresting and beating their fathers and brothers.

Palestine Monitor