By Mairead Corrigan Maguire
On Friday, April 20, 2007, Ann Patterson and I joined the Bil’in Peoples Committee, (outside Ramallah) at their weekly nonviolent protest march to the "Apartheid Wall," together with Israeli peace activists and internationals from over 20 countries. The internationals came from France, the United States of America (more than 200), Puerto Rico, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Britain, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, and India.
Before the peace vigil, I participated in a press conference with the Palestinian minister for information, Mustafa Barghouti, in front of the world press. Minister Barghouti praised the nonviolent vigil of the Bil’in people and the nonviolent resistance of many people around Palestine, saying Bil’in is a model and example to all. He called for ceasing the building of the wall and for the upholding of Palestinian rights under international law.
I supported his call and thanked the people of Bil’in, offering my support for the nonviolent resistance to the wall as it contravenes international law, including the International Court of Justice decision in the Hague. I also called for an end to occupation of Palestine, which will mark 40 years in June, and for recognition by the international community of the Palestinian government, together with restoration of economic and political rights of the people.
Both Dr. Barghouti and I called for the release of the BBC Journalist Alan Johnston. I also called for the protection of journalists all over the world, whose ability to cover the truth is being infringed.
During the conference, the Israeli military drove through the gate onto Palestinian land with many foot soldiers. They surrounded the world media present, and in Hebrew warned us that if we did not disburse they would attack in five minutes. Myself and Dr. Barghouti condemned this as an abuse of freedom of press and of peoples' rights to peaceful protest and speech.
During the press conference a man from San Paolo, Puerto Rico climbed to the top of the surveillance mask and released a Palestinian flag. He planned to stay there for two days.
We returned to the village and joined the peace vigil, which was moving down the road towards the wall. Several hundred people participated, with Palestinian men, women, and many young Palestinian males leading the march. They were very courageous, since young Palestinian males, when arrested, often are beaten.
I walked with my Palestinian interpreter, who told me his home was on the other side of the wall. His 12 acres of land were confiscated by Israeli authorities and his 400-year-old olive trees uprooted, taken to Jerusalem, and planted in new Israeli settlements.
When the walkers got halfway down the road, the Israeli soldiers started firing nerve gas and plastic bullets directly at us. At another point they used water cannons. We were a completely unarmed peaceful gathering, and this vicious attack from the Israeli soldiers was totally unprovoked attack upon civilians.
The soldiers block the upper part of the road, thus preventing Dr. Barghouti and some of the Palestinians from joining the main vigilers. We were then teargassed, and as I helped a French woman to retreat, I was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet. Two young women, one from the USA and one from New Zealand, helped me towards an ambulance. I saw an elderly Palestinian mother carried on a stretcher into the ambulance, as she was shot in the back with a plastic bullet. I saw a man whose face was covered in blood and a Palestinian youth overcome with the gas.
About 20 people were injured. Ann Patterson and myself went back to the protest where the people were being viciously attacked with nerve gas and plastic bullets. I was overcome with gas and had a nose bleed, which resulted in being carried to ambulance for treatment.
We were advised by medical staff to not return to the vigil, and were obliged to leave our friends, who several hours later were still heroically trying to get near the wall. On the road towards the village we watched two children playing in their garden, oblivious to the nerve gas floating down on the wind towards their home. This permeates their cloths and their lungs, and the question has to be asked: What will the health of these children be like in a few years time?
This is not only a question of the abuse of human rights and international laws by the Israeli government; it is a health and environment issue. We were all traumatized by our experience, and with the gas on the air came the words flowing back to me of Palestinian doctor who said, “The whole Palestinian people -- after 40 years of occupation, the whole people of Palestinian are traumatized. It is time the international community acted to put a stop to this suffering and injustice of our people.”
I agree: enough is enough. It is time for action to force the Israeli government to enter into unconditional talks to end this tragedy of tragedies of good and gentle Palestinian people.
Mairead Corrigan Maguire received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for her peace efforts in Northern Ireland. She is the cofounder of the Community for Peace People, and a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
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