arrest

http://palsolidarity.org/2009/05/6453

this article has the right story, the one above in the link misses out a few people - the funny thing is the one with the incomplete story is a media network that i was doing editing and translation for (I know - me translating from written Arabic! Couldn't be done without google).

So. Here's the story.

I woke up early that day. Fridays are the reflection and vision meetings at the Holy Land Trust. There is a little bit of relaxation at the beginning, then Sami, the leader, or whoever else has prepared something guides us through a discussion. This week it was about a fox eating little goats and the mother coming to rip the fox's belly open to free the goat children and throw him into the sea. It was a story meant to awaked our idea of security, roles in the family, and redemptive violence. The main spiritual adventure of the day was not until 3pm when there was a Shamen from Switzerland coming that had spent most of her life travelling and learning about shamanism. I was really looking forward to it.

Anyway. In the morning I had a lot of work to do, translation for the PNN website because the english translator was away, setting out the study of the villages that we were doing and I was behind schedule for the media reports for the right to education campaign.

But it was Labour day. There were two actions that day that were promising, one in the morning around Solomon's pools - the old pools that used to supply the water for Jerusalem, two of which were build by Solomon. Two children had drowned the day before in one of the pools, which is hard to believe because there was so little water. Only one of them had any water in. Water is a big big issue in the West Bank and the main thing guiding where the mega concrete wall is being built. The concrete wall that 84% of Israeli Jews agree is necessary. EIGHTY FOUR PERCENT! When have you seen a poll showing 84% agreeing on something political. It really highlights the degree to which Israeli Jews are blinkered by security rhetoric.

Anyway. There weren't that many people there - perhaps 55. It ended up being a tour - showing us the trees had been planted by activists to show that the land was being used (if there is no evidence of agricultural productivity on any piece of land in the west bank then it is confiscated, mainly for settlement use, despite the fact that the land owners can't reach it, that it is cut off by a wall checkpoints and settler roads, or guarded by a sniper tower as these were). It was a beautiful valley that we came to after passing the Solomon pools - which had been drained to fill an IDF swimming pool on the top of a hill. The guy couldn't understand how the IDF could get away with saying that they were under threat from violent Palestinians and that they didn't have security when they went swimming in pools on the top of hills making themselves easy targets for any violent resistance. I agree, the British forces wouldn't have made a swimming pool and gone swimming on the high ground in no-man's land.

We reached the valley. It really was beautiful, it wa breathtaking. The different coloured wild flowers and herbs, the colour of the stones and earth, the old olive trees and the steep slopes. The only problem was that there was a big fat road being built wiggling down from one side and up the other, cutting off 3/4 of the guy giving us the tour's land as it was next to a settlement that was perched ominously on the hill. The valley is going to be used for sewage. An outlet for the shit of the settlements, a running stream of crap going through a seriously beautiful fertile and productive piece of land. How much crap can the settlers disseminate I wonder - they're really doing their best to sink the neighbouring palestinians in a pile of excrement.

So we heard about how activists from the community Israel and internationally had camped for 20 days in the valley to try and stop the construction of the wall but were met with violence and arrest and had to abandon the project. Some of them were there. So during this time I had a really nice time with the South African lady that I mentioned earlier. I really like her, not only did she contribute to the end of apartheid, but she continued to actively put her energy and commitment into a buzzing and inclusive community that people travel far to live in or hear her preach at. She's really interested in setting up permaculture and getting people to produce things like vegan soaps and shampoos, chemical free products that people need - as she has a good awareness of the dangers of the pollution from commercial products that is rampant in South Africa. So that was nice, i suggested Transition towns as a good source to work from. I think these are fantastic and where we need to be heading if we want to live in harmony with each other on the planet http://www.transitiontowns.org/

So, after a tour and a chat, we waited for some services to take us to the labour day non-violent protest at Um Salamouna - I thought it was somewhere else, but it was the same place that I had been going to for a couple of weeks with the Holy Land Trust. Sami couldn't be there and most of the others at the organisation that weren't swamped with work took the national holiday - like a bank holiday in Britain.

So after a nice little ride in the service with some French people that were running a nursery in Bethlehem, we disembarked to a larger than usual protest, I'd say it was about 180 people but I don't know how good i am with crowd numbers.

The first bit was fine, there were lots of flags from trade unions and there were little speaches about the extreme inequality, employment and the right to gainful employment - how people were being stopped on the way to work etc. but it was among lots of noise from some French solidarity group that was shouting at the soldiers "who has the guns? Who has the guns? Why do you need security from us when you have the guns? You think you're a big man? Why do you wear this uniform...."

The set up is basically a load of Palestinians, some camera men and journalists, a couple of Christian observers, and some internationals that seem to change every week with a core of at least 6 if not more lik 15 Isrealis, usually from Anarchists against the Wall http://www.awalls.org/

We all stand one side of a barbed wire mass that is set up by a group of about 25 soldiers before hand. There are usually 4 or 5 military vehicles present and a police car or two turns up at some point.

The Palestinians chant slogans of resistance and make a few speeches, and sometimes try and cross the barrier of barbed wire, hold up a mirror with painted bars on so that the soldiers can see themselves behind bars, pictures of children from mothers that have been arrested or killed, and flags. If there is aggression from the soldiers but they don't fire anything then the people either start shouting back or someone makes everone sit down and chill out for a bit. The kids are the most foolhardy, scampering up the piles of gravel, pulling the wire back with empty trodden on coke bottles or bits of cloth. The week before they managed to pull the whole wire to one side and we were dancing among the soldiers - so from that i didn't think that there was that much of a problem approaching the soldiers. Little did I know...

So there were more soldiers than usual at the demo and the wire was strapped down to a pilon and secured to a wall the other side so they obviously didn't like what happened last week.

The protest became quite dense as some people were pushing from the back and I went in to the front to try and spread some peace and love and calm vibes, which really work by the way. Ghandi did this a lot as a crowd control measure - obviously I'm no Gandhi! - He did this with hundreds or religious rioters around the confusion of independence, in Calcutta. So then it calmed down a little bit and i ended up getting a little bit lippy at a soldier - highlighting how destructive the wall was to the villages, and that it was said to be illegal according to the ICJ and that I hoped that he didn't have too long left in the army and he could go travelling reflect on his experiences and find some peace and stability within himself. He smiled at this in a kind of "yeah, I agree this is totally stupid but there's nothing I can do about it" way and gave an embarrased shrug. People are people.

So then it calmed down a bit and I started walking back out of the centre of it towards Debbs and then

BANG

ears ringing - the right one a lot more than the left, I turned around and then saw this grotesque and surreal image of the 20 or so soldiers forming some kind of shape as they stepped back out of line, the protestors running away as fast as hell, four fantastic Palestinian men that organise the non-violent resistance in the ares being taken to a the back of the formation and 3 soldiers firing tier gas into the runing crowd.

fthuud, fthuud, fthuudfthuud, fthuud. One of them had a real grin on his face, others seemed to be enjoying it as well. That was the really sick part - that there was absolutely no need for firing the tier gas. Then they walked backwards and ducked as a volley of rocks came their way - how pathetic the volley of rocks were compared to the explosive sound and the tier gas spiralling in the road with it's strange smell, I can't describe - well, it was pathetic anyway. It's a display of emotion if not anything else. I think that they should not throw the rocks, because then it has to be reported as a protest or a clash rather than a violent clamp down on a peaceful demonstration even though the rocks are thrown in retaliation. Clever media.

So then I saw 4 of the leaders of the Ma'sara committee against the Segregation Wall being taken in - maybe this was the whole reason why the fired off in the first place, I don't know. Very convenient that they had the whole non-violent resistance leadership in the area... So i charged over there without thinking, it was just instinct kicking in somewhere after the ringing in my ears. I behaved as thought they were british police and as though i had one or two rights - forgetting that they were an army and actively opposed human rights. I walked over the barbed wire and followed as the med struggled to escape. One other Israeli gentlemen didn't run away and was also arrested, he was a legend. So I asked the soldiers "excuse me, why are these men being arrested?"

completely ignored me...

so then it was "SIR, I would like to know why these men are being..." Smack, twist, grab - I was assaulted from the right and behind by what I think was a border guard but might have been a regular in the army. The border guards are from lower socio-economics groups and have more to prove, have tougher training and are nastier generally - which is really sad to see, they're definitely manipulated to a greater extent, and they are given the toughest jobs so that the regulars don't have to do so much - this is from personal account so don't quote me.

So there I was, tackled from behind with my arm being twisted really hard - my left arm. My shoulder is still aching a little from it today and this is Tuesday. I said "OK, OK, you can let go, OK..." twisting it as hard as he could, I could hear his breathing and that was quite disturbing. Also, because it was all so sudden I just treated it a bit like a video game and was a little shocked but was just thinking about getting him to let go, with the occasional thought of how i was going to get away.

So after 10-15 seconds of twisting my arm so that i was nearly off the ground, he slammed me into the stone wall - and i got a little graze on my elbow (diddums..) and hand as my body twisted around to the right, he never let go of twisting my arm while he did this, he they hoisted me up and pushed my towards a police vehicle bonet, bent me over on it (there's something really farscicle and homo-erotic about this kind of violence... I can't imagine women doing it to women on the same scale as men practice power control and violence). He then didn't let go of twisting my arm - he was probably waiting for his friend to come with a plastic tie... but it hurt.. anyway it really wasn't that bad just annoying. Really really annoying, especially as i didn't even see the face of who it was properly, otherwise i'd like to report him (snitch or committed to truth and justice? Probably both this time). So while he was doing that he pushed my head into the car bonnet with force, further breaking my glasses (although i didn't declare this because i just thought it would be more trouble and it's a small thing - they gave me the option at the police station and seemed quite keen that I did, so that probably put me off) and busting my lip open. While he was doing this and putting on the too-tight-tie, I thought "Shit, bugger fuck(mum says this sometimes and I never say it personally but it went through my mind then) I'm arrested. Bollocks. This wasn't supposed to happen. Oh well, let's see if I can love these boys, let's see if I can make friends with my guards, let's see if I can get out of this."

And you know, i don't think about myself that much. I think about where i can be most effective and what I can do but I really don't fear for my own skin in my own thoughts, don't think like I used to, I haven't thought "what do i need? What do I want? Do I deserve this? Should I do that? how does this benefit me? what can i get out of this?" for ages, i guess since around the wheelchair time. But I had a constant stream of selfish thought when I was arrested - it was like the direction of my mind had just flipped from what can i do for these guys why are they being arrested, how horrific the soldier's faces were to.... how can I get out of this? What's going to happen to me? and a little bit of "poor me" - not much but a little bit, which was nevertheless disturbing.

When we were in the van the 6 of us (some others were arrested at a different time) had a very close bond and the Palestinians, although facing so much more than me, were really trying to look after me, asking if I was ok, having a laugh, giving me platonic love, being really really decent people - which re-connected me with the rest of humanity again and I came out of my personal bubble.

It was quite funny really, I had my bag around my shoulders and a jumper around that, and it was difficult to put back on my shoulder when your wrists are sore because the tie is so tight and your hands are behind your back. I managed just about as i was hussled into the van. Actually, the amazing thing was that I wasn't hussled - the others were manhandled and kicked and pushed and the rest of it but I was helped up and escorted with gentleness from the soldier that I previously spoke to when I was at the front of the crowd in the protest. I think it's because I did it in a respectful and loving way, so he was as respectful and loving as was possible under the current situation. And he picked up my jumper for me when it fell down.

After the confusing journey in the back of a largish army vehicle, the floor and cieling steel painted that dark green colour, with seats either side but we were sat down on the floor bellow the soldiers, making a few jokes and I had a little chat to a russian soldier before he was told to stop speaking to me by a sergeant.

So then we were at the station. I was confused about all this I've got to be honest - was I going to get a trial? Was there going to be a proceedure? Did I have to pay for deportation? Did I have to go on a whole plane to myself? How expensive would that be for the environment? Would I fly back to Jordan to work with refugees?would these guys be alright? Why don't I care about them so much now that I'm arrested (still cared but distanced)?

Not exactly the still mind of Zen... But I did meditate for brief periods when I could and this really helped and is a great source of strength, but I was dealing with really wierd and powerful enegies that you just don't come accross when you're in a cozy room with your friends and a singing bowl and some nice words about the nature of humanity... So very different.

OK, so i have to go to court, there's a man that has an eviction notice and is facing a house demolition - he refused to move so they're taking him to court. Apparently it helps if there are internationals.

Peace and Love and Respect guys - it's really really important, it's actually quite urgent :)