This morning, Easter Sunday, we internationals joined in a huge march of locals. The spirit was fantastic. I could not understand the chants but they felt powerful. We then collected in the square for speeches by local organisers and the burning of Israeli flag and a volley of shots. The people are beautiful; handsome brave men, very pretty young women, loads of children in the demo. Tonight we will spend in the nearby refugee camps and act as human shields, as they expect Bethlehem to be taken and the camps will be the first to suffer attack. Yesterday Claire and others stayed with families in Aida refugee camp. They were treated wonderfully by people who in their troubles and worries still gave them a warm and friendly welcome with beautiful food and the best places to sleep. The children are so intelligent, resiliant and thirsty for knowledge.Claire got in contact with Jamil, a member of Aida council that does a lot to help children overcome the trauma of war. At todays meeting we learned that the Israeli soldiers are in the ROOM next to Arafat, who has a few of his close people plus CAOIMHE! [an Irish friend]. What a brave, determined young woman. They have hardly any batteries for the cell phones so I won't waste it trying to talk direct to her, but I have sent messages in to her to let her know we are all supporting her. There are loads of Italians standing in front of the tanks outside Arafats prison. This US guy in our affinity group suggested that it would be far more powerful to have all the US activists do that WITH the US flag waving!! What a great idea! I have to say I have met the most brilliant people here, amongst them many from the US. Many belong to "Witness for Peace", a group that has been to Colombia many times and an Attorney who has been to all sorts of places under seige. Also a Palestinian from New York, a 79 year old woman from Brooklyn, a Japanese woman, a guy from Vietnam and many from the UK. We heard that 300 Swiss activists were refused entry.
When I heard the music here my legs turned to jelly. It says everything; sorrow, despair, the deaths of loved ones, .injustice, and the beat of war.
There is a fantastic TV station running on a shoestring.
Some of us will be giving blood donations to the hospitals.
The Palestinian men have begged me, what are they to do? what does my
country think of what is happening to them? Does no one out there care? A
US guy put it very simply, the US must stop supporting this war. THAT IS
WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN. Yesterday, the soldiers used percussion grenades on the
protestors. They nearly deafen you with the noise. Another one of my jobs
in our group is to negotiate with the Israeli soldiers. The agression of
the young Israeli soldiers as I entered the airport shocked me. This is the
first time I have signed a form on a demo saying I do not hold the
organisers responsible for injury to myself or death. . A big hug to you
all. I'm scared for all the wondrful Palestinian people here who are so
brave and so cheerful, and so patient with us and our doubts.
Love from us here, Mary.