CPTnet
10 January 1998
CPTers Arrested for "Getting in the Way" at Nonviolent Palestinian
Demonstration
by Mark Frey

Hebron, West Bank -- CPTers Pierre Shantz, 24, and Sara Reschly, 26,
were arrested today by Israeli police after "getting in the way" of
soldiers about to shoot at a Palestinian nonviolent demonstration in
Hebron. The demonstration protested the closure of the Abraham
Mosque and the curfew placed on the 30,000 Palestinians living under
military occupation in the 20 percent of Hebron still under Israeli
control. The curfew was imposed last Monday after Israeli settler
women were injured, one seriously, when their van was shot at near
the Mosque.

Holding long banners reading, "No For Closure of Ibrahimi Mosque," and
"No for Collective Punishment," a group of 70-100 Palestinians marched
from the Hebron Municipality to the border that separates the
Palestinian and Israeli-controlled areas. As the marchers approached
the border, soldiers -- armed with rubber-coated metal bullets, tear
gas and sound grenades -- took positions behind large cement
barriers, ready to fire at the people.

CPTers Shantz, Reschly and Joanne "Jake" Kaufman jumped in front of
the soldiers and their guns. They cried, " This is a nonviolent
demonstration! They are not throwing rocks! " The soldiers, not
knowing how to respond, tried to push the CPTers away. They lowered
their M-16s, but soldiers threw sound grenades which sent the crowd
scurrying. The demonstration leadership quickly calmed the
Palestinians and the crowd returned, standing face to face with the
soldiers.

Palestinian leaders worked to keep the demonstration peaceful,
circulating among the youth and telling them not to throw rocks. Yet
it appeared at times as if violence might break out. After about 30
minutes of this face-off, soldiers began pushing the people. The
marchers started to run away and some threatened to throw rocks.
Soldiers quickly moved into firing positions and CPTers again got in
the way, standing in front of the rifles and saying, "This is a
nonviolent demonstration!" Only a couple of rocks were thrown before
the Palestinian leaders restrained the youth. No one was injured.

One of the military officers, furious with the CPTers for interfering,
began shouting in the faces of CPTers Mark Frey and Shantz, telling
them to leave the area. Shantz retorted that the demonstration was
nonviolent, and was slapped twice in the face by the officer for
refusing to be quiet. At another point, Kaufman was physically
restrained by a soldier as she tried to stand in front of soldiers
taking aim. When the civilian Israeli police arrived, the angered
soldier officer took Shantz and Reschly to be arrested. Israeli police
detained Sydney Stigge-Kaufman for a short time on location, and then
released her.

The remaining CPTers and two internationals present circulated among
the crowd or positioned themselves between soldiers and Palestinians.
About an hour and a half after the demonstration began, the
Palestinian leadership called for everyone to pray in the street to
defuse mounting tension. The older men lined up on prayer rugs to
pray, calling for the younger ones to join them. An Israeli officer
circulated among soldiers, telling them to stay calm and also, in
Arabic, encouraged Palestinian youth to join the prayers. After the
prayers, the leaders declared the demonstration finished and called
for everyone to return to the Palestinian area, although many people
remained. No clashes developed after the demonstration ended.

A Palestinian leader formally thanked CPTers after the march, saying,
"Thank you. You have done your work." Frey said, "I'm convinced that
if CPT hadn't interfered when the soldiers were ready to fire, the
situation would have immediately become violent."

Reschly and Shantz were taken to the police station near Kiryat Arba
settlement. At the time of this release, they were still in police
custody, with no word on whether or when they would be released. One
officer thought they might eventually be charged with "interfering
with a soldier's ability to keep the peace."

Hebron, a Palestinian city of 130,000, is considered the traditional
burial place of Abraham and Sara and is revered by both Muslims and
Jews as a holy place. Several hundred Jewish settlers live in the
Israeli-controlled part of the city, accompanied by about 1200
soldiers.

Shantz is from Elmira, Ont., Canada, and Reschly is from Mt.
Pleasant, Iowa, USA.