AT-TUWANI: Children walk in nonviolent witness from At-Tuwani to Tuba

CPTnet
28 July 2009
AT-TUWANI: Children walk in nonviolent witness from At-Tuwani to Tuba


At-Tuwani, South Hebron Hills, Palestine On the morning of 27 July 2009, more than one hundred Palestinian children marched from At-Tuwani to the village of Tuba along a path where Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian children, shepherds, and international human rights advocates. They carried banners and Palestinian flags as they drummed and chanted, “This land is Palestinian land; this is Palestinian land; the settlers have to leave.” Accompanying the children were women who had organized a two-week summer camp for the children, several fathers, members of Operation Dove, CPTers, and fourteen CPT delegates. Israeli soldiers and the Ma'on settlement security guard followed the procession, as well as two cars driven by settlers, who yelled at the group.

The march was part of the summer camp’s program, and was designed to demonstrate the right of Palestinians to travel on roads through their land and to show solidarity with the children of Tuba and Maghayir Al- Abed, who attend school in At-Tuwani. For the twenty children walking from Tuba and Maghayir Al-Abeed, the shortest Palestinian road to At-Tuwani runs through the valley between the settlement of Ma'on and the outpost of Havat Ma'on. Because of numerous settler attacks, the Israeli military accompanies these children to and from school in At-Tuwani.

The marchers walked without incident to the village of Tuba, taking the middle path around the Havat Ma'on outpost and through the hills. Upon their arrival, two Israeli military jeeps entered the village. One of the fathers negotiated with the soldiers, asking them to accompany the children and their adult chaperones along the Palestinian road where the Israeli army accompanies the children each school day. The soldiers refused to escort the entire group, saying they would accompany the children, but not the adult Palestinians and the internationals. The marchers returned to At-Tuwani on the middle path. As the group approached the outpost, settlers in two vehicles followed the marchers, shouting at them.

The action was the third nonviolent march that the children have undertaken from At-Tuwani to Tuba, and those participating agreed it had been a success.

Photos are available at http://cpt.org/gallery/09-07-09-Childrens-March-To-Tuba