Women’s Day Rally at Qalandiya Checkpoint Tear-gassed and Pepper-Sprayed by Israeli Army
To mark the International Women’s Day, Palestinians gathered at Qalandiya checkpoint that separates Ramallah from occupied Jerusalem for a peaceful rally celebrating human rights and demanding the end of Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Palestinian women start marching to Qalandiya checkpoint, to mark International Women’s Day (8 March).
Several hundred women from various cities of Palestine participated in the non-violent march.
Qalandiya checkpoint, International Women’s Day 2015.
Advancing to Qalandiya checkpoint that separates Ramallah and occupied Jerusalem.
Women and children arrived from the cities of Nablus, Ramallah, Al-Khalil (Hebron), Akka, Haifa, Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and surrounding villages. Holding banners and chanting resistance slogans they advanced to the notorious checkpoint and were met with a barrage of tear gas, sound bombs, pepper-spray, insulting shouts, and threats. All these came from well-armed Israelis in military uniform.
Several people got severely attacked with pepper spray from zero distance as they approached metal fences at the checkpoint.
Suffering from tear gas inhalation. Israeli army shot indiscriminately at a crowd of unarmed civilians.
The first round of tear gas came suddenly, forcing people to run away from the poisonous fumes.
Members of the press were prevented from doing their job by a pushing and screaming Israeli commander.
Passing through Qalandiya checkpoint.
Tear gas canisters and sound bombs were thrown directly at unarmed civilians. Members of the press – all clearly identified with the word PRESS on their vests – were not spared either. Dozens of people, especially children and the elderly, suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Their tear-gas shooting device broke down. Less poisonous gas for Palestinians.
Israeli occupation army getting ready to shoot at people.
A stone against the world’s fourth mightiest army.
Such is International Women’s Day in occupied Palestine, courtesy of the Israeli occupation army.
Candidly speaking, is your movement gaining traction, and can you effectively separate your message from the “in-common with ISIL” propaganda that Netanyahu etc. spread throughout western media?
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In the eyes of the World, Israeli’s are horrible Monsters!
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What exactly do you have in mind, Denis Burkan? Why are you mentioning the Islamic State? What does that have to do with women being tear-gassed on International Women’s Day?
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Bravo, that’s a well-documented provocation in soldiers!
What about a real change in the Palestinian society towards women?!
Don’t use women’s day for a provocation, the women’s rights condition in the Palestinian society is very poor! They use the women for protest but at the end of the day the women are suppressed and suffer from violence by men. You can’t celebrate this day in a society that it’s legitimate for a man to kill a woman in their own family when she doesn’t act as this Patriarchal society dictates her, in order to “defend the family honor”.
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Thank you for your comment, Fatima, we appreciate it.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be celebrating International Women’s Day in any society, as most of them (except for the very few, mostly indigenous communities) are patriarchal, albeit to varying degrees. In that sense, we are all hypocrites – bringing flowers to women one day a year and oppressing them 365 other days of the year. Whatever our personal thoughts about the Women’s Day are, in general we believe that oppression – any oppression – is evil and must be fought against. Palestine’s struggle is one of liberation – and not just liberation from the Israeli occupation; whatever or whomever else the Palestinians choose to liberate themselves from is their decision only. We are here in solidarity against oppression.
Regarding your point about provocation of soldiers, we do not see demonstrations or protests – a legitimate and legal means of resistance – as “provocation”. It is the Israeli occupation army that is provoking Palestinians, simply by being there.
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I am a graduate student writing a paper about women’s peace movements in Israel and Palestine, to see how they worked individually, together, their current status, and the reasons they struggled to successfully work in partnership. Can you tell me if there were there any Israeli Jewish Women who marched with you at the demonstration?
Do you see Israeli Jewish women’s organizations becoming more outspoken or radical in their protest of the occupation?
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