For Immediate Release

ISRAELI ARMY CHARGE VIOLENTLY WOMEN DEMONSTRATION IN BIDDU 1 Palestinian and 3 International activists have been arrested during nonviolent protest

[Biddu, NW Jerusalem] At least 4 nonviolent protesters have been arrested during a women anti-wall demonstration in Biddu today. One Palestinian women, Deema Hamdan from Al-Isawiya was reportedly beaten by the soldiers after she was arrested. Other arrestees are French citizen Angela Coppin, and British citizen Angela Julian from the IWPS. A fourth international activist was arrested during the same charge.

They were arrested as the Israeli soldiers charged the nonviolent demonstrators. Around 55 women were gathered to protest the construction of the wall and the destruction of their land. The demonstration has remained totally peaceful even after the soldiers used excessive violence to disperse the crowd.

As the people were peacefully walking to the worksite, they were fired at with teargas canisters above their heads. One international activist from ISM was injured in the arm with a teargas canister. The soldiers then grabbed 4 of the women who were standing in the front.

Approximately half an hour after the beginning of the march, Israeli soldiers on horses charged the rest of the women who were dispersing, hitting them with batons. An elderly woman was hit in the neck during the charge.

Israeli soldiers have taken snipers position on village housetops. The demonstration is still going on.

For more information, please contact:

Shora: +972.54.725.4910
ISM Media Office: +972.66.505.237

END