Today, on November 15, six individuals boarded a public bus, knowing they would be arrested for doing so. A scene out of the 1960s, right? Wrong. It was a scene that played out today, a scene made real by a handful of creative, and brave, activists.
This is how +972 Magazine summarizes today's act of civil disobedience by six Palestinian activists – Fadi Quran, Nadeem Al-Sharbate, Badee Dwak, Huwaida Arraf, Basel Al-Araj and Mazin Qumsiyeh – who were arrested and held in prison today for attempting to ride a bus.
"On November 15, six Palestinian activists boarded an Israeli bus in the West Bank in effort to call attention to Israel’s policies of segregation and restricted freedom of movement for Palestinians. Drawing inspiration from the U.S. Civil Rights Movement’s “Freedom Rides” of the 1960s, the activists rode the bus before being forcibly removed by IDF soldiers."
The authority's response to this act of civil disobedience only served to validate it, and highlighted the severe restrictions Palestinians continue to face.
Below are images of these six activists from today – images that testify to Palestinians engaging in rights-based, nonviolent protests. Precisely the types of protests – and images – you won't see projected by any mainstream outlets:
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Author's Note 1: In her diary from today, "New Freedom Riders," ramara relays an email describing today's act of civil disobedience from Jewish Voice for Peace.
I share a part of it below:
Six breathtakingly courageous Palestinian human rights activists just tried to take the bus from Ramallah to East Jerusalem. It's a trip I've made countless times without a hitch.
But I'm a Jewish American. I can move about freely. And Fadi Quran, Nadeem Al-Sharbate, Badee Dwak, Huwaida Arraf, Basel Al-Araj and Mazin Qumsiyeh are Palestinian. They cannot move freely in their own country. Instead of being allowed entry to East Jerusalem, the Freedom Riders were violently arrested and held for hours in the Atarot Prison. I'm thrilled to report that just moments ago I got word they were released.
But the struggle is not over! The Freedom Riders have just begun. And they need your help.
These six Freedom Riders chose to board a bus that serves Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank on it's way to Occupied East Jerusalem, wearing kuffiyehs (Palestinian scarfs) and t-shirts reading 'Justice', 'Freedom', and 'We Shall Overcome'. Inspired by the Freedom Rides of the American Civil Rights Movement, they took this bold action to expose the racism and policies of segregation that pervade every aspect of life in occupied Palestine. To send the message to the world that separate is NOT equal. Not in the United States and not in Israel or Palestine. They also wanted to bring attention to the role of Israeli and international companies, such as Egged and Veolia, who operate these segreated bus lines, in perpetuating and profiting from the occupation.
Author's Note 2: After reading the comments, I want to agree with one critique of the email sent by Jewish Voice for Peace regarding the phrase "violently arrested." While the activists were arrested, they were not treated violently during the actual removal from the buses. (This from all reports I've seen in addition to the pictures.) However, how they were treated once detained and taken to Atarot prison, I do not know.