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June
10, 2004 - Anti-wall demonstrators gassed at Az Zawiyah, West Bank:
Report by Gush Shalom, Israel's 'Peace Bloc' - “What the army used here
yesterday was not tear gas. We know what tear gas is, what it feels like. That
was something totally different…When we were still a long way off..they
started shooting things like this one (holding up a dark green metal tube with
the inscription “Hand and rifle grenade no.400” - in English). Black
smoke came out. Anyone who breathed it lost consciousness immediately, more than
a hundred people. They remained unconscious for nearly 24 hours. One is still
unconscious..They had high fever and their muscles became rigid. Some needed urgent
blood transfusion.” (1)
Report
by medical units serving Zawiya: “On June 10th, 2004, the two clinics
in Al-Zawiya treated 130 patients for gas inhalation. The patients were children,
women, old people and young men. Dr. Abu Madi related that there was a high number
of cases of [tetany], spasm in legs and hands, connected to the nervous system.
Pupils were dilated...Other symptoms included shock, semi-consciousness, hyperventilation,
irritation and sweating....the gas used against the protestors is not tear gas
but possibly a nerve gas.” (2)
International
Press Center (PNA): “Official and public sources in..Al-Zawya..asserted
that those who have inhaled the tear gas IOF troops fired at them four days ago
are still suffering from the effects of the gas…a number of those citizens
have already had amnesias or partial memory loss, in addition to cramps…in
addition to strange cramps every three hours… those who inhaled the gas
are still suffering severe pains in the joints and nausea for four days now. Eyewitnesses
recalled that the Israeli soldiers were keen on picking the empty tear gas canisters..”
Journalists told IPC “that the gas was in different colors they have never
seen coming out of a tear gas canister before, and that some gases had an unrecalled
smell.” (3)
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