Protesting highway 443: the Jewish-only highway cutting through the West Bank

Last Thursday, demonstrators successfully blocked off a major Jewish-only highway which cuts through Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, severing communities and further restricting Palestinians’ movement. Palestinians living in the region must take circuitous routes, prohibited from traveling on the highway.

As per norm, we were arrested, beaten, and thrown aside by Israeli soldiers.

…Blocking the road to Apartheid: Palestinian nonviolent protestors are blocking highway 443

Demonstrators block highway closed to Palestinians

Protesters block Highway 443 to protest ban on Palestinian traffic

from Ha’aretz:

“Highway 443 is an example of what is taking place in the territories,” one of the demonstrators told Army Radio. “[The authorities] are expropriating land from the Palestinians in order to build a highway which is then declared off limits to Palestinian traffic.”

“There is a policy here of apartheid,” Hadar Grievsky, another protester, told Army Radio. “Highways are built on roads that were seized from Palestinians and is only permitted to Jewish drivers.”

Organizers of the protest said that 70 demonstrators participated, most of them Palestinian residents of nearby towns. Israeli Occupation Forces soldiers and police arrived at the scene to disperse the crowd approximately 10 minutes after the road was blocked. Seven people were taken into custody for questioning, according to Army Radio.

video link

B’Tselem: Route 443 – West Bank road for Israelis only

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