BostontoPalestine
Boston support group for the International Solidarity Movement

Home
About us
News from Palestine

Contact
    Email
    Subscribe
    Donate

Campaigns
    Olive Harvest 2004
    Freedom Summer 2004
    Past Campaigns

Events
Photos
Videos (ISM)
Rachel Corrie
Links
Speakers
Be a Delegate
Press
faq
Actions!

Ben's reports

back to Ben's reports click here

to b2p summer 2004 delegation click here

8-23-04 Kids & solidarity in Qalqilya

Hi everyone

The b2p delegation had a great morning and afternoon of solidarity today in
Qalqilya. We stayed last night in the village of Hares. We met Issa, who
was shot nearly three years ago during a teargas attack on the village
following a nonviolent demonstration. He is now in a wheelchair but, in spite
of his injury, Issa remains a leader of nonviolent resistance in the
community even now. Today he organized an event in the nearby city of
Qalqilya. The young children of Haares are very frustrated and angry and
often act out by throwing stones at soldiers and passing settler's cars.
Seeing the need for a nonviolent outlet, Issa organized this outing in order
to channel the children's rage toward the physical, rather than human symbols
of their oppression.

Qalqilya is surrounded by a 25 foot wall with sniper towers. When we arrived,
the children ran forward, throwing an avalanche of stones at the wall - a
nonviolent protest. The teenage Palestinain organizers made sure no stones
were thrown at the sniper towers where the soldiers might be waiting for a
pretext to respond with great violence.

I am attaching photos of Issa, in the wheelchair, children, and Eroc and
Optimus entertaining the crowd with their liberatory hip-hop (they instantly
became superstars).

9click on image to enlarge)

love and solidarity,
Ben