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november 5th 2010 Today the people in Bil'in were joined by internationals and Israelis to protest against Israel's illegal Wall that is cutting through the village's farmland. The protesters were carrying posters of Bilin's Abdallah Abu-Rahma, asking for freedom for all political prisoners. The Popular Committee sends their greetings to Adalah N.Y, the New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel. The about 100 protesters walked towards the fence dividing Bil'ins land in two, where the Israeli army waited on the other side. People were shouting slogans in Arabic and English, demanding the Wall to fall, and asking Israel to end the occupation. The soldiers responded with large amounts of tear gas, dispersing the group. There was some symbolic stone throwing, and instead of removing themselves from the village's land, the soldiers shot tear gas and threw stun grenades against the young Palestinian boys. Many people suffered from inhaling tear gas. The hot tear gas canisters set fire to the olive fields several places, and after a while the fire brigade had to come to put it out. During the demonstration the soldiers came into the village, lining up in brigades, continuing to shoot tear gas and throw stun grenades. The protesters were forced back into the village. The Popular Committee was bringing out a message to Adele New York, which has been campaigning for divestments from Israel's illegal settlements. The committee expressed that they are thankful for the organization's hard work. Last week, Africa Israel, the flagship company of Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev, announced this week that it is no longer involved in Israeli settlement projects and that it has no plans for future settlement activities. Among the protesters were two representatives from Michigan Peace Team, who before the demonstration handed over a prize to the Popular Committee of Bil'in. Michigan houses the city with the largest Palestinian population in the United States, and the Palestinian Cultural Committee in Michigan and MPT decided together to give an award to Bil'in. This is meant as recognition of the long struggle against the Wall and the sacrifices they have suffered, including the death of Bassem Abu-Rahma, who was shot and killed during a demonstration last year. The Michigan groups praise Bil'in for their non-violent resistance, and for inspiring other villages to follow their example. The head of the Popular Committee Iyad Burnat and the three other members, Samer Burnat, Basil Monsur, and Haytham al-Khatib represented Bil'in to receive the prize. The demonstration lasted for about 1,5 hour. Iyad Burnat Bil'in Popular committee
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