Freedom Riders for the 21st Century - From Ramallah to Jerusalem

     Why copy the U.S. civil rights activists that got onto segregated buses to confront the systems of discrimination against Black Americans? Why especially if you are not American and not Black?
Six Palestinian activists risked their lives on November 15 just as the U.S. riders did in 1961, exactly 50 years ago. This time is was to defy Israel's apartheid bus system that forbids Palestinians from getting on buses that provide public transportation to and from Jewish settlements The buses travel on Jews-only roads through Palestinian land, taking settlers from their colonies in the West Bank to cities in Israel. There are a few stretches of such roads that Palestinians can use because there is not yet an alternative route designated for them. One of these stretches was chosen for this action. But the participants first gathered in the Palestinian city of Ramallah with the goal of getting to Jerusalem with the same ease as the Israeli Jews.
     My informant, Mazin, as one of the six riders, had expected to be beaten and jailed or worse. He has a record of many previous arrests for his anti-occupation activism which could be used against him, and he knew of the hatred and violence of some settlers and Israeli Border Police towards Palestinians. Thus it was with a sardonic smile that he told us how the secret band set out for the bus stop they had picked to board a settler bus.
     Mazin was in the lead car, and behind him were "about 30 cars of media and supporters." They came to a bus stop, but the organizer who had scoped it out ahead of time wasn't sure it was the right one. "Maybe we passed it." Mazin immediately did a U turn (not legal) and every car behind him did the same thing. It was quickly evident that they had not yet passed the chosen bus stop, so Mazin did another illegal U-turn, and so did all thirty cars! After this hazardous but comical ballet of cars, they arrived at the bus shelter and went and stood in line with other would-be-passengers -- all settlers.
     The first three buses passed them by, but the fourth bus driver didn't seem to know what to do and let them board and pay their fare. When they got to the next stop, the police were waiting. Meanwhile, there was better media coverage than Mazin had seen at any other demonstration for Palestinian rights.
The bravery of these six Palestinians, five men and one woman, cannot be overestimated. The outcome, however, was mercifully mild. Police carried limp protesters off the bus, did not beat anyone, and released them, plus two others who had been arrested at the same time, within a few hours. Since the reasoning behind this treatment, clearly decided on the highest level of the security aparatus, cannot be known, there is no way to predict how future actions will be handled. But the organizers of this Freedom Ride, mostly young people with no political party affiliations, are planning their next moves. Stay tuned.