Bil’in Protesters Dismantle Section of Security Barrier
Demonstrators participating in rally protesting the Israel’s West Bank separation fence dismantled a section of the barrier on Friday, during a rally marking five years since the beginning of the Bil’in protests.
About a thousand people took part in the rally, which was also attended by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Palestinian parliament member Mustafa Barghouti as well as Fatah strongman Nabil Shaath.
During the rally several protesters managed to cross the barrier, placing a Palestinian flag on top of an Israel Defense Forces outpost, while others dismantled a 30-meter section of the fence itself.
IDF sources claimed that the fence’s repair could cost several hundred thousand NIS.
Israeli security forces were aligned in rear positions to allow the demonstrators to protest in a “non-violent fashion,” but began using dispersal instruments as soon as protesters commenced hurling stones.
A source in the IDF’s GOC Central Command told Haaretz that the incident proved that the IDF was willing to allow non-violent protest, but that it was clear that some of the participants act violently, hurling stones and causing thousands of sheckels in damages to the fence.
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