One Captured, Dozens Suffered from Tear Gas Inhalation in Memorial of the French Revolution Today in Al Ma'sara 60 Palestinian and International demonstrators marched towards the main entrance of the village where they called for an end to the construction of the apartheid wall and the settlement of Efrat which surrounds the village and severs the inhabitants from their land.  Despite the peaceful nature of the demonstration the soldiers responded by throwing sounds bombs and tear gas.  A local popular committee leader Marwan Fararja was detained and threatened by soldiers but later released without charge.   During the demonstration the local popular committee leaders spoke powerfully about their right to the land of their ancestors and their on going non-violent struggle for freedom.  Today's demonstration was also to commemorate the storming of the Bastille 14th July 1789 and subsequently called for an end to the arbitrary imprisonment of political prisoners in Palestine in 2010. The soldiers formed a wall of silence and began to push the demonstrators back. Palestinian and International voices urged the army not to shoot or use violent means, holding up their hands to symbolize non violent resistance. Despite this soldiers began to hurl sound bombes, one which injured an international journalist, followed by rubber tear gas canisters.  Such disproportionate methods have not been used in Al Ma'sara for three weeks and so it seems the tactics of the military were to catch the protesters off guard leading to the capture of Marwan.    Local leaders here have been arrested, imprisoned and threatened by soldiers throughout the history of the popular resistance; they face harsh fines or imprisonment for attending demonstrations.  Night raids are often carried out to frighten and deter the inhabitants of Al Ma'sara from exercising their right to protest against the occupation.  After his release Marwan spoke of the soldiers' threats to drive him away and beat him but they were unable to hold him without any grounds for charge.  It seems that the tactics of the soldiers today to scare the demonstrators will have the contrary effect; strengthening the protest for the future.   Mahmoud Zwahra Al-Ma'sara village - Bethlehem TOP