Some 200 Palestinians, accompanied by Israeli and international activists, marched in a peaceful demonstration towards the roadblock placed on the main road of the village, to reclaim their right for freedom of movement.  The village of Qaddum has been effectively besieged since the beginning of the Second Intifada, when the main and only entrance to the village was blocked by the army.  

When the demonstrators approached the roadblock they were met by about 15 armed soldiers standing on the road and approximately 5 more soldiers stationed on the hills next to the road. About 50 meters in front of the soldiers on the road they had placed barbed-wire. The soldiers spoke through a megaphone declaring that if anyone crossed the barbed-wire the demonstrators would be met by violence.

Not one of the protesters crossed the line nor used any violence but simply tried to remove the barbed-wire when the soldiers began to fire teargas canisters, forcing the protesters to run back towards the village. The protesters were then followed by a “skunk" truck, spraying them with foul-smelling water, as well as by soldiers attacking them with teargas and stun-grenades and following the protesters deeper into the village. This violence continued throughout the demonstration, which lasted for about two hours. In the end the soldiers withdrew, and the demonstrators reached the road-block where they sang and cheered before they went back to the village. Armed soldiers continued watching-over the events from a hilltop close to the village throughout the demonstration and thereafter.