Christopher J. Lee: Street Politics in the West Bank
Christopher J. Lee is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was recently a faculty fellow of the Palestinian American Research Center, an affiliate of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers.
On June 5, I witnessed a protest against Israel’s “separation” wall in the West Bank. This non-violent demonstration was organised by Stop the Wall to mark Naksa Day, an annual commemoration of Palestinian displacement after the 1967 Six Day war. Stop the Wall is a grassroots organisation that campaigns to end the new form of Israeli apartheid that has taken hold with the construction of the purported security barrier -- reaching up to 8 metres and hundreds of kilometres long.
The mid-day confrontation did not remain non-violent for long. As hundreds of marchers from Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority (PA), gathered near the traffic circle in front of the Qalandia checkpoint, Israeli police and military wasted no time before firing tear gas into the crowd. This speed of response was frightening. A sense of apprehension informed the day: a few weeks before, the protests of Nakba Day on May 15 had resulted in at least 15 Palestinian dead along the Syrian border. No one knew how far the police and soldiers of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) were willing to go to disperse the demonstrators.
After the immediate, unwarranted reaction, the push back was for the most part restrained. In contrast to views of Israel’s security being under constant threat, the military units present appeared wholly confident, even blasé, about the situation. Within an hour, the soldiers had secured the roof of a building, from where they could fire tear gas on the crowd with little fear of reprisal.
At this point, the situation evolved into political street theatre. With the IDF unit firmly ensconced in its rooftop position, a handful of young Palestinian men approached from the street to launch stones with homemade slingshots. Taking turns, they taunted the soldiers on the roof with their nimble skills and youthful courage. And when they looked too confident, the IDF fired another volley of tear gas, with Red Crescent ambulances at the ready to help those who had inhaled too much. An eclectic group of photojournalists were in position at the bottom of the building, equipped with gas masks and body armour, ready to capture this iconic image....