   
Israeli Army Enters Birzeit University and Shoots Student in the Back
Right to Education Campaign, Birzeit University , 23 May 2006
On the 22 May, the Israeli army entered the campus of Birzeit University and shot at students who were throwing stones, clearly interfering with and obstructing their right to education.
The army were searching for a Palestian man in the nearby village of Mizra' Al Gharbyia, and instead of blocking the part of the road that led just to the village, they blocked the entire road preventing students from getting to their University through the main gate.
By around 8am when the first classes begin, dozens of students had gathered by the alternative gate to the school and threw stones at the military jeeps. Despite there being no soldiers in harm's way as they were all inside their jeeps, and the stones landing metres away from the vehicles, the military reacted by entering the campus and shooting rubber-coated bullets at the students.
One student who was hurt, a fourth-year Computer Science undergraduate, explained what happened as he was entering the campus with his friends;
"When my friends and I arrived at the University there were jeeps at the entrance and the soldiers were making insulting hand-gestures at us and saying things to us. As we continued to walked away from the jeeps towards the University to reach our classes on time, the jeeps came up the ramp and started shooting at us. I was shot in the back as I tried to get away from the soldiers and the crowd."
After retreating back to the gate, the jeeps continued to block the road and aggravate the students. As soon as the director of Public Relations, Mr Ghassan Andoni, heard about the shooting he confronted the soldiers and requested they do not re-enter school property. The soldiers refused and entered the school gates to hover around the entrance and threaten the students. There were now about ten students gathered, some of whom were throwing stones (which still didn't reach the jeeps) and the soldiers wanted to arrest them.
After a long tense moment of the jeep toing and froing at the school gates and Mr Andoni pursuading them to keep their distance, the army truck carrying the arrested villagers from Mizra' Al Gharbyia drove past on its way to the military head-quarters of Bet Eil. The military jeeps then finally unblocked the entrace to University gate and main access road, and joined the convoy of military and border police escorting the truck of detainees at the end of their mission.
Back at the University clinic, the Computer Science student is visibly shocked and emotional from the impact of the bullet and because he can't move his left shoulder. He was sent to a local hospital to make sure there was no permanent damage to his back and nervous system. The disruption is particularly harmful to students at this time of year as it comes during exam period;
"I'm lucky my arm is ok, but I missed my exam which was at 9am and don't know what will happen to my final year now."
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| Israeli jeep enters Birzeit campus and shoots at students in response to stone-throwing by a group of students (on the top left of the road). |
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| Public Relations Director, Mr Ghassan Andoni, speaks to the soldiers and demands they do not re-enter the University campus. |
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| A fourth-year Computer Science student is shot in the back as he walked towards his class for a 9am exam. |
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| The Israeli army truck passes the University entrance carrying detainees on its way out of Masra' Al Sharqyia. |
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