A Global March to Jerusalem is planned on Friday across Israel and the Palestinian territories, as supporters in Lebanon and Jordan readied to march to the borders to mark Land Day. The Land Day is held every year on March 30 to mark the deaths of six Arab Israeli protesters at the hands of Israeli police and troops during mass demonstrations in 1976 against plans to confiscate Arab land in Galilee.
The main Land Day march will take place in the Galilee town of Deir Hanna, with another march in Israel’s southern Negev desert, both of which were to start in the mid-afternoon.
This year, Land Day organizers have called for protests inside Israel and the Palestinian territories, and in neighboring Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan as well.
Rallying under the slogan of a global march to Jerusalem, protest organizers have called for “freedom for Jerusalem and its people.”
In preparation, Israel announced a 24-hour closure of the West Bank and imposed restrictions on Friday prayers at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque, barring men under age 40 from entering the site. Israel has tightened security along its disputed borders in anticipation of a series of planned demonstrations by Palestinians and their supporters.
“I do not believe in boundaries, barriers, flags. I believe that we all belong to the same family, the human family” Vik Arrigoni #LandDay
— Huwaida Arraf (@huwaidaarraf) March 30, 2012
all strength to the Palestinians (& others) demonstrating in Palestine today for #LandDay and #GM2J. ثورة حتى النصر
— Ben White (@benabyad) March 30, 2012
This photograph shows an old man planting tree in Kafr al-Dik, Palestine to mark Land Day.
Tree Planting to mark #LandDay in Kafr al-Dik, Mar. 29, 2012#Palestine twitter.com/Y_salameh/stat…
— Y_salameh (@Y_salameh) March 29, 2012
A large-scale security was enrolled to prevent protesters entering Israel. The old city of Jerusalem was also reportedly off limits. Eminent activists passed their sarcastic comment Israel defending its sovereign borders.
Israel defending its sovereign borders today. Oh wait. That’s right. It doesn’t have any declared borders. #LandDay #GM2J
— Ben White (@benabyad) March 30, 2012
The poster below is the very first Land Day poster published in 1976 designed by designer Ismail Shamout.
The very first #LandDay poster published in 1976 designed by the amazing Ismail Shamout twitter.com/MaathMusleh/st…
— Maath Musleh (@MaathMusleh) March 30, 2012
Protesters faced trouble number of times during the march at various check points. Bethlehem checkpoint was one of them, which is just a few kilometres from West Jerusalem but is cut off from the city by Israel’s separation wall. Another one was Qalandia check point; a Palestinian village located in the West Bank, between Jerusalem and Ramallah where more than a dozen injuries were reported.
Dozens of Palestinians have been injured at #Qalandia checkpoint. One of the injuries #LandDay yfrog.com/mg3x4fmj
— Zaid Shaker (@ZaidAtalla) March 30, 2012
Bethlehem protestors sitting on the road by the Palestinian police near a checkpoint to Jerusalem. #GMJ#LandDay twitter.com/ayahalwakeel/s…
— ayah alwakeel (@ayahalwakeel) March 30, 2012
#LandDay: Qalandiya checkpoint now, Israeli soldiers lining up, waiting for the demo. twitter.com/RZabaneh/statu…
— Rania Zabaneh (@RZabaneh) March 30, 2012
#Qalandiya: Hundreds of Palestinians protesting on #LandDay, at least 20 suffocated of tear gas. twitter.com/RZabaneh/statu…
— Rania Zabaneh (@RZabaneh) March 30, 2012
This photograph was taken and tweeted near Bab el Amus in Jerusalem. As reported protesters were restricted to enter the old city.
Teaching hate twitter.com/mikopeled/stat…
— Miko Peled (@mikopeled) March 30, 2012
Here is the official promotion video of the march.
