Against the Monster Wall in a-Ram
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05/06/04
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An emotional meeting between to rivers of demonstrators, one Israeli and one Palestinian,
took place Saturday noon in the center of a-Ram. The two rivers came from different directions
and united into one big demonstration against the monstrous wall that is about to cut off a-Ram
from Jerusalem and from its environment. The drum band of a-Ram boy-scouts led the marchers
with their beat.
The Israelis started a spontaneous march when the Border Police stopped their buses and tried
to prevent them from reaching the demonstration. They left their buses where they were and
continued on foot in the blazing heat.
The demonstration was organized by "Gush Shalom" and "Ta'ayush", on the initiative of
Sirkhan Salaimeh, the mayor of a-Ram, who called on the Israeli public to support the 60
thousand inhabitants in their fight against the wall, which is out to destroy their lives.
A-Ram is a center of commerce between Israel and the West Bank, and its isolation will kill its
economy.
"There is no life for Israel without life for Palestine. There is no existence for Israel
without existence for Palestine. There is no security for Israel without security for
Palestine!" Gush Shalom activist Uri Avnery declared. He spoke from a bloc of concrete put in
place in preparation for the wall. With him spoke Knesset members Barakeh and Tibi. Leena
Delasheh of Ta'ayush called: "We, Israelis and Palestinians, are united in our struggle
until the wall will fall, here and everywhere!"
The demonstrators carried posters saying "Peace, Not Separation!", "First of All - the Wall
must Fall!", "They choke a-Ram!", "A Prison for the Palestinians, a Ghetto for the Jews!"
Before and after the demonstration, the Israelis toured the path of the wall in the north of
Jerusalem. "Until now I thought that it is terrible," a demonstrator from Haifa said, "Now I
know that it is far more terrible!"
Image: images/monster_wall/monster_wall1.jpg
The scout band leading the march
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Palestinian and Israeli women at the demonstration
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The mayor, Sirkhan Saleimah, speaking
Image: images/monster_wall/monster_wall4.jpg
The monster is coming near: new section of the wall between a-Ram
Image: images/monster_wall/monster_wall2.jpg
A demonstrator with the two-flags poster
Image: images/monster_wall/monster_wall6.jpg
. Israelis and Palestinians in the first row. Among them: MKs Barakeh and Tibi.
Previous Gush Shalom actions .
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