Israel: "Occupation 40" - first actions in Tel Aviv

The 6 days of actions to commemorate the atrocities of the 40 years of Israeli occupation from the 1967 war started in Tel Aviv this afternoon, after an appetizer in the form of nightly hanging of placards during the last few weeks.

---

"Occupation 40" - first actions in Tel Aviv

The 6 days of actions to commemorate the atrocities of the 40 years of Israeli occupation from the 1967 war started in Tel Aviv this afternoon, after an appetizer in the form of nightly hanging of placards during the last few weeks.

There were two actions at the Cinematec square. One was of the Road Blocks Watch at the square itself. The other was the critical mass against the occupation. After a convergence in the square, for decoration of the bicycles with flags, balloons and bottles of red liquid, we started the tour. We were about 100 cyclists and 20 people without - mainly the drummers team and photographers, still and video. Most of the participants were from the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative, others were from the wider "Kibush 40" (Occupation 40) coalition.

We started, and then continued in slow motion so the walkers and drummers would not be exhausted. We took the road for our use, leaving it free only to those who were coming from the opposite direction. The first part was the cycling along the main roads around the compound of the Ministry of war and occupation. Most of us had bottles of red liquid red like blood, and we slowly poured it along the ride. All the alternative arrangements in case the police harassed us were found to be redundant. It seems that a wise police commander decided to treat us as if we were part of the celebrations for the victory in the 1967 war.... police officers on scooters tried to guess our course and hurried to block the car traffic so we would have the road to ourselves wherever we turned.

After cycling around the war ministry compound we took the main road and visited the municipality "zocolo" square, continuing to the big mall at the center of city, then on to the US embassy, and of course the Shenkin leftist street and the McDonald place on it... and back to the Cinematec square... A two-and-a-half-hour journey in the main streets of the town center, shouting slogans, enjoying the drumming, and from time to time whirling for a while at a main intersection.

It was a kind of a mobile street party - nearly the best demonstration I ever participated in.

I.S.

www.awalls.org