They Did It To Jesus, They Do It To the Lebanese & They Are Doing It to Us Too
The Herald
MARTIN WILLIAMS
August 07 2006
TWO Scottish human rights activists were injured after being hit by a plastic bullet and debris from a stun grenade fired by the Israeli army during a demonstration on the West Bank.
Margaret , 52, suffered severe bruising after being struck in the back by a plastic bullet while she was marching with hundreds of people in the village of Billin in memory of more than 1000 people who have been killed in Gaza and Lebanon.
She said that she and her husband, John, were deliberately targeted.
John, 53, with whom she formed the Glasgow Palestinian Human Rights Campaign, suffered facial injuries after a stun grenade exploded at his feet, causing him to be deafened in one ear.
These grenades create a noise of up to 160 decibels and are used in crowd control.
The couple are in the area to provide humanitarian aid to children and teenagers in refugee camps in Palestine.
They raise money from their home in Bishopbriggs and travel to Palestine three to four times each year to deliver toys.
They also work to raise public awareness about the human rights situation in the West Bank and Gaza.
Mr and Mrs Pacetta said they had put up a poster in the West Bank village bearing the message, "Stop the Bombing of Lebanon and Gaza – Over 1000 Dead", and were walking away when the army began firing tear gas canisters, concussion grenades and potentially lethal rubber coated bullets.
Speaking from the West Bank, Mrs P, a former bank secretary, said she was struck as she and her husband were heading back to their flat.
"We turned our backs and as we walked away the Israeli army just started firing on us. We were deliberately targeted and they fired at our backs. My husband was holding his face and as some of the Palestinians were asking if he was okay and I felt this thud at my back. It was extremely painful.
"I knew it was a bullet because I could hear them. I was just hoping it was not real bullets. The fact we were walking away and they were still firing was so awful.
"We were definitely and deliberately targeted as internationals. This is a clear violation of human rights and international law."
Her husband said there was "no justification" for the army response.
"If you are in a peaceful demonstration with Israeli peace activists and people from all over the world, you would expect it was safe to go there. You don't expect what they call a civilised army to open fire at peaceful, non-violent demonstrators who are walking away.
"I can understand if we were throwing rocks or something, but all we did was put a poster up and walk away and they started to fire at us."
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