Akashma Online News

Carol Anne Grayson – “This is a quick note that Israeli soldiers arrested Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh along with two other Palestinians early this afternoon local time May 15, 2011 as he was participating in a peaceful nonviolent civil disobedient march toward the Green Line in Al Walaja (one of the many Nakba events taken place today. Many media were there and his arrest was caught on tapes as he was just at the scene peacefully. He is currently being held at the Israeli military compound near Rachel’s Tomb. As this message is being written, I got a call from a friend who was still in Al-Walaja reporting that IDF is firing tear gas at the remaining protest crowd. Some protesters escape to village houses, but IDF soldiers followed into one house and arrested five more people (one Irish, one other international, and three Palestinians) from inside the house.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, and Golan Heights, there were reports that dozens were wounded in many places, including more than 150 wounded at Qalandia checkpoint. Please complain to your government and demand them to stop supporting the brutal Israeli Apartheid regime. Please support and participate the Nakba events around the world today and double the effort of BDS on Apartheid Israel.”

As of now at local time Monday morning 2:00 a.m., Mazin is still being detained. His cell phone battery died as he called to communicate the names and countries of the seven internationals that were detained with him so that volunteers can get help calling their respective country’s embassy (Ireland, USA, Canada, Germany, Netherland.)

Later he borrowed someone else’s phone to advise that all the internationals would be released shortly, but not he and and other Palestinians. For them, he said, maybe days. Advocates are making connections with an attorney. Mazin sounded in good spirit and did not seem to be mistreated. Your calls to the U.S. State Department, Senators, Congresspersons, and foreign governments if you are non-US nationals should also help.

Israeli soldiers arrested Salem-News.com writer Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, a prominent professor who has instructed at both Duke and Yale, along with two other Palestinians early this afternoon local time as he was participating in a peaceful nonviolent civil disobedient march toward the Green Line in Al Walaja (one of the many Nakba events taken place today.)

Salem-News.com