Bil’in is a Palestinian village located 12 kilometres west of the city of Ramallah in the central West Bank. In 2005, the Israeli government began constructing the security barrier in the Bil’in area, and since then approximately 55 percent of Bil’in’s former land has been used for the construction of the Modi’in Illit settlement. Every Friday since 2005, protesters have gathered in Bil’in for demonstrations against the barrier’s route, making the village a symbol of resistance. Protesters have included the village’s Popular Resistance Committee, as well as international and Israeli peace activists.
After almost 5 years of conducting weekly demonstrations, protesters in Bil’in decided to take a more theatrical approach to disseminating their message. On February 12, 2010, Israeli, Palestinian and international demonstrators dressed as James Cameron-style Avatars marched towards the barrier, and were, per usual, met with tear gas and sound bombs. Though sporting blue painted bodies, pointy ears and long tails didn’t seem to faze the Israeli Defense Force, the tactics generated more media attention than usual for this weekly action.
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