Israel-Palestine: Battle for Bil'in
Bil’in is a village of around fifteen hundred inhabitants situated 10 Kilometres from Ramallah. It also lies a literal stone’s throw away from the controversial Separation Wall that Israel is building and has become a centre of protest and resistance to the Wall’s construction. These photos were taken in August 2005 at a time when demonstrations had already been taking place every Friday for months, leading to a kind of routine between the demonstrators, who included Israelis and Internationals as well as Palestinians, and the Israeli Soldiers.
During this time Israeli authorities decided to clamp down on the protests, which were drawing increased media attention and becoming an acute embarrasment. However, the measures taken, including imposing a curfew throughout Friday, the Islamic Holy Day, only escalated tensions leading to violent clashes between Palestinians armed with sling shots and Israeli soldiers firing plastic bullets, often resulting in hospitalisations.