US national badly hurt in anti-fence protest

[oberliner]

An American national was seriously injured Friday during a rally against the separation fence being built in the West Bank village of Naalin, apparently after being hit by a tear gas canister.

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) identified the man injured as Tristan Anderson, 37, of California. He was rushed to the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer for medical treatment.

The Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson's Office confirmed the report, adding that the incident was being looked into.

The army also said that some 400 left wing Israeli, Palestinian and foreign activists had arrived at the area while violating a closed military area order, and that some of them, who were veiled, had hurled stones at the security forces, who responded with crowd dispersal means.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3685953,00.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. Very sad. I hope he'll be OK.

[Ken Burch]

2. It doesn't look good though, from the OP.

If the man dies, the "any criticism of Israel is antisemitism" brigade will show up to taunt and gloat. Just like with Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndall.

[varelse]

29. Doesn't look good

His skull was fractured and some of the bone fragments entered his brain, friends said. He sustained a large hole in his forehead where he was struck by the canister and his right eye was also badly injured, friends said. He underwent surgery to have part of his frontal lobe removed, said Anderson's Oakland housemate John Love.

"They said the surgery went as well as it can, but there is just no telling with brain surgery if he will make it," Love said. "The next 48 hours are critical, and if he makes it "... it will be a long haul back to normal. They don't know whether they can save the eye."

http://www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_11911411?nclick_check=1

[azurnoir]

3. Something that should be noted

I have seen a few videos of IDF shooting tear gas canisters, this was not an accident IDF does not merely shoot into a crowd they will take aim and shoot the tear gas canisters at individuals like an anti personnel weapon.

[Truth2Tell]

4. Video and more info here

Video (Warning graphic): http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/13/18576878.php

More info from Indybay:

On March 13th, 2009, Tristan Anderson, from Oakland, California, was critically wounded in the village of Ni'lin after Israeli forces shot him in the head with a high-powered tear-gas canister. Tristan is a dedicated activist and reporter who has long been committed to social and environmental justice in the U.S. and abroad in places such as Oaxaca, Iraq, and Palestine. Tristan has posted his reports to Indybay since 2001.

As a result of his injuries, Tristan Anderson, 38 years old, has been taken to Israeli hospital Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv. Anderson is unconscious and had been bleeding heavily from the nose and mouth. He sustained a serious injury to his forehead where he was struck by the canister. He is currently being operated on.

"Tristan was shot by the new tear-gas canisters that can be shot up to 500 meters," reports Teah Lunqvist (Sweden) with the International Solidarity Movement. "I ran over as I saw someone had been shot, while the Israeli forces continued to fire tear-gas at us. When an ambulance came, the Israeli soldiers refused to allow the ambulance through the checkpoint just outside the village. After 5 minutes of arguing with the soldiers, the ambulance passed."

Tristan Anderson was shot as Israeli forces attacked a demonstration against the construction of the annexation wall through the village of Ni'lin's land. Another resident from Ni'lin was shot in the leg with live ammunition. Several other demonstrators against the wall have been killed or rendered brain dead as a result of IDF use of rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition in the villages of Ni'ilin and Bil'in.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/13/18576878.php">More...

[oberliner]

5. American wounded by Israeli troops has surgery

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — An American activist who was struck in the head by a tear gas canister fired by Israeli troops in the West Bank was in serious condition Saturday after undergoing extensive surgery, hospital officials said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jedDil1847gWxgS-udcQLIgDxrFgD96TPFTO0

[ProgressiveMuslim]

6. That's one way to shut down nonviolent protest. "Closed military zone." Love it.

[IndianaGreen]

7. U.S. citizen critically hurt at West Bank protest

Today the IDF shot in the head an American, Tristan Anderson, a peace activist from California. He is now on life support at a Tel Aviv hospital. His prognosis is poor. I won't be surprised if the Israel Firsters contingent in DU will blame Tristan for his present condition and, were he to die, smear his memory just as they did Rachel Corrie.

Human life is equally valuable whether one is gay or hetero, black or white, American or non-American, Jew or non-Jew. The saddest thing about the last 41 years of Occupation is that what should have remained the core principles of humane people have become compromised, twisted, and subverted in order to defeat the legitimate grievances that each side in this conflict has against the other. There is less humanity, less compassion, and too much schadenfreude.

Last update - 22:51 13/03/2009

U.S. citizens critically hurt at West Bank protest

By The Associated Press and Haaretz Service

Palestinian sources said that an American citizen, in his thirties, had sustained critical wounds during an anti-separation fence protest in the West Bank on Friday, Army Radio reported.

Peace activists with the International Solidarity Movement said Tristan Anderson, of the Oakland, Calif. area, was struck in the head with a tear gas canister fired by Israeli troops. The military and the Tel Aviv hospital where Anderson was taken had no details on how he was hurt.

Protesters who were at the scene said that Anderson was standing by the side of the road when soldiers fired at him, and not near the hub of the clash. They added that there was no one in his vicinity that could have been perceived as a threat to the soldiers.

"He's in critical condition, anesthetized and on a ventilator and undergoing imaging tests," said Orly Levi, a spokeswoman at the Tel Hashomer hospital. She described Anderson's condition as life-threatening.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1070940.html

[Howardx]

8. the haaretz comment sections are always enlightening

somewhat different from what we are told here about how the israelis feel.

[Howardx]

9. kick

[Astrad]

10. American citizen critically injured after being shot in the head by Israeli forces in Ni’lin

13th Friday 2009, Ni’lin Village: An American citizen has been critically injured in the village of Ni’lin after Israeli forces shot him in the head with a tear-gas canister.

Tristan Anderson from California USA, 37 years old, has been taken to Israeli hospital Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv. Anderson is unconscious and has been bleeding heavily from the nose and mouth. He sustained a large hole in his forehead where he was struck by the canister. He is currently being operated on.

The Israeli army began using to use a high velocity tear gas canister in December 2008. The black canister, labeled in Hebrew as “40mm bullet special/long range,” can shoot over 400 meters. The gas canister does not make a noise when fired or emit a smoke tail. A combination of the canister’s high velocity and silence is extremely dangerous and has caused numerous injuries, including a Palestinian male whose leg was broken in January 2009.


http://palsolidarity.org/2009/03/5324

Youtube video of event (not for the faint of heart) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3NmAc2BwtI&eurl=http://palsolidarity.org/2009/03/5324&feature=player_embedded

[rolltideroll]

11. Wow

Talk about wrong/place wrong time.I hope the poor guy is ok.

[peacetalksforall]

12. Nice going, Israel. Get the canister from the U.S.? Rubber coated steel bullets, also?

Phosphorous? Much better than stones.

[Howardx]

13. kick

[Purveyor]

14. Thank you for posting... KICK eom

[ProgressiveMuslim]

15. Tristan Anderson Critically Injured in Demonstration Against Israeli Wall

Fri Mar 13 2009 Oakland CA Resident Tristan Anderson Critically Injured by IDF Tear Gas Canister in Ni'lin
On March 13th, 2009, Tristan Anderson, from Oakland, California, was critically wounded in the village of Ni'lin after Israeli forces shot him in the head with a high-powered tear-gas canister. Tristan is a dedicated activist and reporter who has long been committed to social and environmental justice in the U.S. and abroad in places such as Oaxaca, Iraq, and Palestine. Tristan has posted his reports to Indybay since 2001.

As a result of his injuries, Tristan Anderson, 38 years old, has been taken to Israeli hospital Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv. Anderson is unconscious and had been bleeding heavily from the nose and mouth. He sustained a serious injury to his forehead where he was struck by the canister. He is currently being operated on.

"Tristan was shot by the new tear-gas canisters that can be shot up to 500 meters," reports Teah Lunqvist (Sweden) with the International Solidarity Movement. "I ran over as I saw someone had been shot, while the Israeli forces continued to fire tear-gas at us. When an ambulance came, the Israeli soldiers refused to allow the ambulance through the checkpoint just outside the village. After 5 minutes of arguing with the soldiers, the ambulance passed."

Tristan Anderson was shot as Israeli forces attacked a demonstration against the construction of the annexation wall through the village of Ni'lin's land. Another resident from Ni'lin was shot in the leg with live ammunition. Several other demonstrators against the wall have been killed or rendered brain dead as a result of IDF use of rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition in the villages of Ni'ilin and Bil'in.

http://www.indybay.org/antiwar/

[Scurrilous]

16. 'Washington Post' buries the Tristan Anderson shooting story

<snip>

"The New York Times' Ethan Bronner did an excellent job on the shooting of Tristan Anderson, getting a good-sized story on to page A7 of the Times. As for Haaretz, it refers to the story prominently on the front page of its print edition and also runs a sizable piece on the atrocity. No surprise: this is an important story.

And The Washington Post? Three paragraphs on page A11.

The Washington Post editorial page's angry view that the Israel lobby is a "crackpot" conspiracy theory is undermined by the newspaper's pathetic coverage of Jim Crow in Palestine. It continually underplays or fails to cover news of Israel's continuing landgrab that is destroying the two-state solution and turning young Americans of conscience like Tristan Anderson and Rachel Corrie into Freedom Riders."

http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/washington-post-buries-the-tristan-anderson-shooting-story.html

[Howardx]

17. kick

[Scurrilous]

18. U.S. activist Tristan Anderson 'hanging by a thread' after being injured in protest on Israel border

<snip>

"An American activist critically wounded by an Israeli gas canister in the West Bank is "hanging from a thread" after brain surgery Saturday, friends said.

Tristan Anderson, 38, a "tree-sitter" from Oakland, Calif., was hit in the forehead when troops shot tear gas during a protest of the separation barrier between Israel and the West Bank village of Naalin.

Anderson was in the intensive care unit of a Tel Aviv hospital yesterday, with girlfriend Gabrielle Silverman keeping a bedside vigil.

"He's really touch and go. He's hanging from a thread," friend Paul Larudee told the San Francisco Chronicle."

more

[polly7]

19. It's all just so sad.

My prayers for that poor man and his family.

[grassfed]

20. ISM's Tristan Anderson SHOT IN HEAD by IDF

http://phillyimc.org/en/isms-tristan-anderson-shot-head-idf

ISM's Tristan Anderson SHOT IN HEAD by IDF

View Translation
by Josh | 03.13.2009
Tristan Anderson, a US citizen volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine, has been critically wounded after being shot in the head by the IDF. Tristan is a well-known alter-globalization activist, and a friend of Brad Will.


Tristan
For Immediate Release

13th Friday 2009, Ni'lin Village: An American citizen has been
critically injured in the village of Ni'lin after Israeli forces shot
him in the head with a tear-gas canister.

Tristan Anderson from California USA, 37 years old, is currently being
taken to Israeli hospital Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv. Anderson is
unconscious and has been bleeding heavily from the nose and mouth. He
sustained a large hole in his forehead where he was struck by the
canister.

"The Israeli soldiers were standing on the hill looking over us firing
tear-gas canisters straight into the crowd. Tristan was hit and fell
to the ground. He had a large hole in the front of his head and his
brain was visible. I tried to stop the bleeding, but he was bleeding
heavily from the head, nose and mouth." Ulrika Jenson (Sweden) -
International Solidarity Movement

"Tristan was shot by the new tear-gas canisters that can be shot up to
500m. I ran over as I saw someone had been shot, while the Israeli
forces continued to fire tear-gas at us. When an ambulance came, the
Israeli soldiers refused to allow the ambulance through the checkpoint
just outside the village. After 5 minutes of arguing with the
soldiers, the ambulance passed." Teah Lunqvist (Sweden) -
International Solidarity Movement

Contact:

Ulrika Jenson (English and Swedish) - [phone]
Teah Lunqvist (English and Swedish) - [phone]
ISM Media Office - 02-297 1824 or [phone]

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) http://palsolidarity.org/
is a Palestinian-led non-violent resistance movement committed to
ending Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land. We call for
full compliance with all relevant UN resolutions and international
law.

For specific media inquires such as interview requests, photo usage,
etc. please email the ISM Media Office at [e-mail]

Other sources are now reporting the following related details:
Ulrika Jenson, an International Solidarity Movement activist, said troops fired tear gas canisters into the crowd from a hill above.

"Tristan was hit and fell to the ground," Jenson was quoted as saying in an ISM statement. "He had a large hole in the front of his head, and his brain was visible."

Why the protests?
"Ni'lin was 57,000 dunums in 1948, reduced to 33,000 dunums in 1967, currently the town’s land is 10,000 dunums and will be 7,500 dunums after the construction of the Wall."

"Ahmed Mousa (10) was shot in the forehead with live ammunition on 29th July 2008. The following day, Yousef Amira (17) was shot twice with rubber-coated steel bullets, leaving him brain dead. He died a week later on 4 August 2008. Arafat Rateb Khawaje (22), was the third Ni’lin resident to be killed by Israeli forces. He was shot in the back with live ammunition on 28 December 2008. That same day, Mohammed Khawaje (20), was shot in the head with live ammunition, leaving him brain dead. He died three days in a Ramallah hospital."
http://www.palsolidarity.org

[cali]

21. yes, it's tragic

I hope he makes a full recovery.

[mikelgb]

22. I don't think people usually recover from holes in the head through which you can see their brain

but I wish him the best of course... tragic

[Behind the Aegis]

23. Multiple dupe

[cali]

24. um, so what?

it seems just a little callous to come into this thread to post that. If the dupes, bother you, simply alert.

[Behind the Aegis]

25. This is the 5th one.

Others do the same. Who put the burr under your saddle?

[Webster Green]

27. 1st one that I've seen.

Glad it was posted again.

Fucking outrage! :mad:

[Violet_Crumble]

28. Same here...

A dupe is when the same article is posted again. Different articles on the same issue aren't dupes, otherwise the many threads about Durban II would be dupes, which just like this one they're not.

[varelse]

30. This is one story that bears repeating

of many.

[Behind the Aegis]

31. iyo

[varelse]

32. You've got yours

And I've got mine.

[Behind the Aegis]

33. True and I expressed mine as you did yours.

[UndertheOcean]

26. This is just awful :(

[Raineyb]

34. The question is what is our government going to DO about it?

Will they say something or do something or will yet another citizen be injured or killed by Israel's army without comment.

I for one don't like the tacit permission that's given when our government says nothing.

Regards

[oberliner]

35. Ex-Cal Tree Sitter Stable After West Bank Attack

A veteran Bay Area activist is in stable condition today after being critically injured Friday evening during a protest against the building of a separation barrier in the Palestinian village of Naalin on the West Bank, according to his girlfriend.

Tristan Anderson, 38, of Oakland, underwent surgery to have part of his frontal lobe removed. As of today he was on full life support and heavily medicated at Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv, his girlfriend Gabrielle Silverman said today in a telephone interview.

"My understanding is that they are trying to let his brain rest as much as possible and do as little work as possible," Silverman said.

http://cbs5.com/local/Protest.West.Bank.2.959905.html