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Three Arrested in Nil’in During Friday Demonstration Two Israeli activists and one Palestinian cameraman from Nil’in were arrested during the weekly demonstration against the Israeli apartheid wall and settlements in Nil’in village. Palestinian, Israeli, and International activists marched to the giant gate at the apartheid wall in Nilin today with the message: Our land is behind the wall, this is the season to weed and plant our fields, let us access our fields! Once demonstrators reached the wall, they were bombarded with tear gas by the Israeli army. According to residents, Jewish settlers were seen approaching the checkpoint outside the village, they did not enter. It is unclear if their intentions were to enter the village. Demonstrators on their way to Nil’in, Bil’in, and Ma’asara villages today reported long waits and much questioning at checkpoints. Ratib Ameera and Quse Mohammad Nafea, Nilin activists against the wall and settlements were released today on bail. The village of Nil’in has been the focus of much Israeli army violence since their campaign to halt the building of Israel's separation wall began in 2004. Hundreds of farmers’ livelihoods have been devastated since the wall has cut them off from their land. Once finished, the village is cut off from 40 percent of its remaining farmland, effectively annexing it to half a dozen large Jewish settlements that encircle Nil’in. The settlements are all illegal under international law.
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