Judge: Troops at fence protest were more violent than protesters

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"A military judge wrote Saturday that soldiers trying to disperse protesters against the separation fence in the West Bank village of Bil'in used more violence than the demonstrators.

After watching a videotape of the rally, the judge wrote that the troops showed an "ugly face" to people holding a democratic demonstration.

Lieutenant Colonel Shmuel Keidar of the Judea military court was ruling on the Military Advocate General's request to extend the remand of Farhan Ibrahim Hashem Borant, who was charged with attacking a soldier at the demonstration."

<snip>

"The prosecution claimed Borant had attacked a soldier who asked him to move away. Defense attorney Gabi Lasky showed the court a video that convinced the judge that the charges were false and that the soldiers had used violence, not the demonstrators.

"The video ... shows the soldiers used more violence than the demonstrators," the judge concluded, releasing Borant under restriction. "The video is no credit to the defense forces. Even though they see the cameras, the soldiers do not restrain themselves from displaying the ugly face they adopt toward people at a democratic protest."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/824104.html

[Tom Joad]

1. Yet the nonviolent campaign continues, despite the overwhelming violence of the occupation army.

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/

And a special round of applause to Gabi Lasky. :yourock:

[Porcupine]

2. Throwing their lives down to be killed or beaten.....

takes enormous courage. After the Rachel Corrie incident it's easy to believe that non-violence is a futile path for Palestinians. These people show tremendous bravery by stepping up once more for a non-violent campaign.