Army disperses Women’s Day protest in W. Bank

[Violet_Crumble]

More than 250 Palestinian and Israeli women and men were attacked by military forces at a demonstration at the Qalandia checkpoint. Several injuries were reported, including one woman who was hospitalized after being shot with a rubber-coated bullet.

The demonstration started Thursday at noon, with some 200 Palestinian women marching from Ramallah towards Qalandia – the main checkpoint on the way to Jerusalem. Demonstrators chanted slogans and held tri-lingual signs linking the feminist struggle with the struggle against the occupation. The women were joined by an international delegation, including European Parliament Member and former Vice President Luisa Morgantini, and later on by several dozen Israeli women from the Women’s Coalition for Peace.

Upon nearing the checkpoint the demonstration was suppressed by Israeli army and Border Police forces, who at first used stun grenades and the “skunk” water canon, and then moved on to “the scream machine”, tear gas and rubber-coated bullets. All this took place on the main road towards the checkpoint, which was, as always, packed with a row of cars waiting to be searched, whose drivers suffered collateral damage from the soldiers’ attack.

After several attempts to proceed in spite of the army’s acts, most women retreated back toward Ramallah, and as the soldiers started following them, several youth began throwing stones. Clashes went on for a while. Several demonstrators were injured, and one needed medical treatment after being shot with a rubber-coated bullet.

“The 8th of March symbolizes an accumulated struggle for women all around the world for freedom and justice”, said Amaal Khresha of the Palestinian Women’s Working Association for Development. “For Palestinian women under the occupation, this day is a day of marking the struggle against the occupation.” Arabia Mansur of the Women’s Coalition for Peace added that occupation and militarism will never enable the development of a society that offers women a life of happiness and dignity. “We must put a stop to the sort of education which teaches children to see reality through the barrel of a gun, and women have to stop participating in such education,” said Mansur.

The demonstration also focused on solidarity with administrative detainee Hana Shalabi, who is now on the 24the day of a hunger strike. As reported before here, Shalabi’s physical condition is deteriorating, and a decision in her appeal against her detention order is due beginning of next week.

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http://972mag.com/watch-army-disperses-international-womens-day-demonstration-in-west-bank/37516/

[holdencaufield]

1. I can agree with this

“We must put a stop to the sort of education which teaches children to see reality through the barrel of a gun, and women have to stop participating in such education,” said Mansur.


I wonder who she was talking about?

[parkia00]

2. Hmmm... maybe can be applied to both sides?

The "education" or process of conditioning a child's mind to hate the enemy of their parents or community is nothing new. A case of "I hate my enemies more then I love my own".

[oberliner]

3. Dozens of Syrian women and children killed in Homs; state and opposition trade blame

Dozens of civilians were killed in cold blood in the Syrian city of Homs, opposition activists and Syrian state media said on Monday, although they disputed responsibility for what both sides called a massacre.

The carnage in Homs, as well as a military assault on the northwestern city of Idlib, coincided with a weekend peace mission by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, who left Damascus on Sunday without agreement on a truce or humanitarian access.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/dozens-of-syrian-women-and-children-killed-in-homs-state-and-opposition-trade-blame-1.417971

[shira]

4. Women's day protest? Bullshit.

No mention of female genital mutilation or women targeted for honor killings. Not a thing about Palestinian on Palestinian violence, not even if it pertains to women's rights.

Just another opportunity to bash Israel for having the audacity to keep a known female member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in detention.

Well, at least the Leftists in solidarity with the Palestinian far right have company. Nazis like Rense and Gilad Atzmon are very concerned with the female Palestinian Islamic Jihadist too. They're not concerned about women's rights outside of Israel either.

Harriet Sherwood celebrates ‘Int’l Women’s Day’ by championing the cause of Islamic Jihad terrorist

On March 8, the Guardian published “International Women’s Day highlights hurdles obstructing women“, (co-authored by 12 Guardian correspondents, including Harriet Sherwood), on the subjugation of women around the world.

The report didn’t mention female genital mutilation, which is practiced in 28 countries in Africa and parts of the Middle East, which between 100 and 140 million girls and women are estimated to have undergone.

There was similarly no mention of honor killings – 5000 women a year who are murdered (mostly in the Middle East and SW Asia) by their family for dressing in an unacceptable manner, wanting to prevent an arranged marriage, engaging in sex outside marriage, or being in a same sex relationship.

While many of the contributors to the report on the oppression of women across the world dealt with economic inequalities and abortion rights in the West, there wasn’t much to suggest the endemic culture of misogyny and gender apartheid throughout the Middle East.

Harriet Sherwood not only ignored such egregious systemic oppression of women in the Palestinian territories, but devoted 118 words in a 750 word essay about Israel’s detention of a female Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist named Hana Shalabi.

more...
http://cifwatch.com/2012/03/11/harriet-sherwood-celebrates-intl-womens-day-by-championing-the-cause-of-islamic-jihad-terrorist/