British Citizens Arrested At Nonviolent Demonstration In Al Masra'a Now Released

Three British women, arrested at a demonstration at Al Masra'a al Qibliya
on Friday 26th were released late last night after being detained for over
thirty hours.

The women, Sarah Cobham, Caroline Bailey and Kate Harrison, were arrested
after participating in a demonstration about the seizure of land in Al
Masra'a. Protesters were fired at with live ammunition by settlers,
soldiers also fired off live rounds. The women were 'detained' by an armed
settler while trying to leave the demonstration. The settler shot at the
women, ran after them, pushed them up against a wall, pointed a gun at
them and threatened to kill them.When Israeli soldiers arrived by they did
nothing to stop the assault by the settler. The women were kept in the
'punishment block' of Ramla women's prison close to Tel Aviv and released
after a closed hearing at the Ministry of the Interior in Jerusalem.

Sarah Cobham, 42, one of those arrested said "During my arrest I was
afraid for my life. Throughout my detention the prison guards were
uncooperative and sadistic. During my time in Palestine I have seen the
heartache on the faces of the families of many Palestinian ex-prisoners
and the hollow looks in the eyes of those who have been incarcerated, as
they have told me their stories of humiliation and degradation. Sitting in
a prison cell, with no way of contacting the outside world, I began to
grasp the enormity of what they had been telling me."

The demonstration was against the seizure of 500 Dunams of land from Al
Masra'a. The was the latest to be seized and incorporated into a
collection of settlements known as Talmund B. In total 14 000 dunams of
land have been expropriated from the village.

The Israeli state's case is that the land had been confiscated as
'uncultivated' land in the eighties but the villagers knew nothing about
this until the recent confiscation.

This phenomenon of confiscating so-called ‘uncultivated' Palestinian land
is widespread and often results in the annexation of the land by the
illegal Israeli settlements. It is important to note that this is a
process being sanctioned by the State of Israel.

Settlers from Talmund B had planted the land with grape vines in the last
three monthts despite an ongoing legal challenge brought by the villagers.

Ten members of the Brighton-Tubas Friendsip and Solidarity Group joined
the villagers in marching to the confiscated land. They reached the area
where a barbed wire fence marked the boundary of the stolen land.
Approximately 50 people crossed the fence and started to remove the grape
vines from the land. Also the pipes that take the stolen water were
partially destroyed. The demonstrators were fired on with live ammunition
despite the presence of young children in the crowd. The three women were
arrested as they were leaving the demonstration and later charged with
'attending an illegal demonstration' and not leaving when an order was
given and 'damaging a barbed wire fence'. They were released with
conditions not to return to the occupied territories.

For more details or interviews contact Tom Hayes on 07846506710 or Sarah
Cobham on +972525029690

photos and video available

email  thewallmustfall@riseup.net

Personal account of time spent in detention:

 http://brightonpalestine.org/blog/?p=211

Personal account of the demonstration at Al Masra'a

 http://brightonpalestine.org/blog/?p=208

More details about Al Masra'a Al Qibliya:

 http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2007/10/26/action-alert-non-violent-demonstration-at-al-mazra-al-qiblya-to-protest-illegal-confiscation-of-palestinian-land/

www.brightonpalestine.org/blog

NOTES FOR JOURNALISTS

1.The Brighton-Tubas Friendship and Solidarity group is a grassroots
network aimed at fostering and strengthening links between grassroots
groups in Tubas, Palestine and Brighton, UK.

2. 10 people from Brighton arrived in Palestine on October 20th. The
delegation includes students, health workers and representatives from
Brighton branches of Amnesty International and the Palestine Solidarity
Campaign. The group will contact grassroots organisations like the Tubas
Red Crescent, agricultural cooperatives, students’ unions, Tubas Women’s
Group and local trade unions.

3. Over the Summer the group helped to fund and sent volunteer to build a
school in Tubas region in defiance of Israeli military restrictions on
building. The Israeli army recently issued a demolition order on the
school.

4. Sussex University Students Union twinned with Al Quds Open University
in Tubas in June this year. The city branch of UNISON in Brighton and Hove
is twinned with a union branch in Tubas.

5. A nurse from Brighton is planning to travel to Tubas to work as a
volunteer.