Israeli forces attack dozens of nonviolent protesters in Bil'in weekly demonstration

IMEMC - The Popular Committee against the Wall and settlements in Bil'in organized their weekly march against the construction of the Wall on Friday at noon.

The march started after the Friday prayer and moved towards the lands Israel is building the wall on. Marchers carried Palestinian flags and banners calling for Palestinian internal unity and for the cessation of all settlement activities in the West Bank.

The villagers of Bil'in were accompanied by a group of International and Israeli peace activists and at least 80 youth from a summer camp from the village of Farkha near Salfit.

As the crowd arrived near the construction site of the wall, Israeli troops showered them with a hail of tear gas canisters and fired several rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets. Clashes erupted later between youth and the soldiers.

Eyewitnesses said that troops also fired some kind of black rubber balls that caused bruises to those who were hit by them.

A number of protesters were also wounded as a result of inhaling the tear gas and were treated by field medics.