wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Palm Sunday demonstrators break out of Bethlehem

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

>World Council of Churches - News

DEFYING THE WALL, PALM SUNDAY DEMONSTRATORS BREAK OUT OF

>BETHLEHEM

>For immediate release: 29 March 2010

By Kimmy and Stefan, Ecumenical Accompaniers in Bethlehem

Echoing Jesus’ ride through into Jerusalem about two thousand
years ago,
crowds of people waving palm branches accompanied riders on a
pony and two
donkeys through a checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem on
Sunday,
the Christian festival of Palm Sunday.

The march began with a small group at Manger Square in central
Bethlehem.
As the crowd, accompanied by music and carrying signs or
Palestinian
flags, moved through the town, more and more people joined until
it
numbered about 150 Palestinians, Israeli activists, journalists
and
internationals.

The march was to protest the limitations placed upon
Palestinians -
Christians and Muslims - to travel to Jerusalem for worship at
the holy
sites in the city.

The march was supposed to have stopped at the checkpoint, but
once the
group reached the checkpoint gate for vehicles, approximately
100
protesters made their way through the gate. Apparently the
security guards
were unprepared:  they were far too few to be able to stop the
demonstrators who managed to walk through the second gate and on
to the
road to downtown Jerusalem, still being led by the donkey and
the horse.

About a hundered meters down the road, the Israeli police
realized what had
happened and blocked the way. The demonstators stopped, although
they
easily could have marched on as there were only a few police
officers on
the scene.

In response, the checkpoint was closed for all vehicles and foot
traffic
attempting to enter Jerusalem.  According to Ma’an News
(Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=272622 
), eleven Palestinians have been detained; four Israeli
activists and one
international person were detained and later released.

The following day, Checkpoint 300 - the main Bethlehem
checkpoint -
remained completely closed.  All of the checkpoints along the
security
barrier were only open to a limited number of people
(international
citizens, school children and Palestinians with specific work
permits,
worship permits or medical permits) for the Jewish holiday of
Pesach.

However, the Bethlehem checkpoint remained closed to all
Jerusalem-bound
traffic, foot and vehicle.  Those with humanitarian concerns or
who want
to enter Jerusalem for worship must attempt to cross at an
alternate
checkpoint.  There is no word yet about when the Bethlehem
checkpoint will
reopen.  Those who want to go to the Holy City of Jerusalem for
the
Christian worship services during Holy Week may be forced to
travel
further and longer.

The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel
(Link: http://www.eappi.org ) (EAPPI) was launched in August
2002. Ecumenical Accompaniers monitor and report violations of
human
rights and international humanitarian law, support acts of
non-violent
resistance alongside local Christian and Muslim Palestinians and
Israeli
peace activists, offer protection through non-violent presence,
engage in
public policy advocacy and stand in solidarity with the churches
and all
those struggling against the occupation. The programme is
coordinated by
the World Council of Churches (WCC).

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,
witness 
and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical
fellowship of 
churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349
Protestant, 
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560
million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with
the Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse
Tveit, 
from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva,
Switzerland.