Budrus, Ramallah, 11 March 2005 — In response to an unprovoked military invasion in the West Bank village of Budrus, villagers, who have been struggling against the Wall for more than one year, tore down pieces of the Separation Fence which is built on their land.

During a wedding celebration early Friday afternoon in Budrus, Israeli military and border police jeeps invaded the village and fired sound bombs, tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition inside the village. Israeli military and border police jeeps left the village after arresting 25 year old Hasan Mohammed Awad and wounding three Palestinians with rubber bullets.

After the military left the village through the gate in the fence, villagers followed and forced the gate open. They then damaged several dozen meters of the structure while shouting “No to the fence! Yes to peace!”

Budrus has held over 50 demonstrations against the Wall in the past year and a half. If the Wall is completed in the Western Ramallah area, 25,000 Palestinians in eight villages will be completely surrounded with no access to hospitals, places of employment and higher education.

International and Israeli activists are sleeping in the village in solidarity with the people of Budrus and as witnesses in the event of military retaliation for today’s nonviolent action of tearing down the fence.

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