“Prawer shall not pass”, yelled hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli activists [1] at a Day of Rage [2] protest outside the Bedouin town of Hura, in the Negev desert. The protest was met with police force and activists were arrested, according to citizen media reports.
The Prawer-Begin plan, approved by the Israeli Knesset, could result in the destruction of more than 35 “unrecognised” villages and the forced expulsion of more than 70,000 Palestinian Bedouins in Al Naqab – or the Negev desert.
Other protests were held around the world in solidarity. However, protests in Gaza were banned, says Palestinian blogger Ola Anan [ar]:
على سبيل الغلاسة، حماس منعت اقامة اي فعالية في غزة ضمن فعاليات #برافر_لن_يمر [3]. #اصلا_عادي [4]
— Ola Anan -علا من غزة (@olanan) November 30, 2013 [5]
Hamas has banned any activities in Gaza as part of the Prawer shall not pass events
[6]A Day of Rage was organised today to protest the Prawer Plan, which if implemented would displace thousands of Palestinian Bedouins living in Al Naqab
Mariam Barghouti explains:
Israel wants to ethnically cleanse 1000s of Palestinians in #Naqab [7] & when we protested we were met with violence & arrests. #StopPrawerPlan [8]
— Mariam Barghouti (@MariamBarghouti) November 30, 2013 [9]
Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov adds:
Activists who were at the protest in Hura (Naqab) report experiencing unprecedented levels of violence from policemen. #StopPrawerPlan [8]
— Elizabeth Tsurkov (@Elizrael) November 30, 2013 [10]
Tweet-Palestine claims a seven-year-old boy was arrested:
Israeli army arrest a 7 year old child in #Naqab [7] #StopPrawerPlan [8] pic.twitter.com/KXLHgTgeZn [11]“
— Tweet_Palestine (@Tweet_Palestine) November 30, 2013 [12]
And, on YouTube, Muath Hamed shares this video showing the arrest of two protesters, near the settlement of BeitEal, north of Ramullah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2AaNMCho2o
Among the activists arrested today is Maath Musleh [13]. Omar Robert Hamilton shares this photograph of him smiling while being arrested:
My friend and colleague @MaathMusleh [13] being arrested at #StopPrawerPlan [8] demo in Jerusalem earlier today: pic.twitter.com/p4qWGVa7c5 [14]
— Omar Robert Hamilton (@ORHamilton) November 30, 2013 [15]
Israeli journalist Joseph Dana doesn't anticipate international coverage of today's events. He tweets:
#StopPrawerPlan [8] protests all over Twitter & Facebook tonight. Who wants to bet me a beer that the story doesn't make Buzzfeed?”
— joseph dana (@ibnezra) November 30, 2013 [16]
While Abir Kopty sees hope on the horizon:
Today the “invisible” became visible, and the Israeli police couldn't stand it. We will win! #StopPrawerPlan [8]
— Abir Kopty (@AbirKopty) November 30, 2013 [17]