Qalandiya, Bir-Naballa, Sunday 19.8.2007 PMObservers: Natanya G,. Lizi S,. Phyllis W. (reporting), Debbie (visitor),Natanya translating15.30 Ar-Ram When we arrived we saw a large group of detainees and we parked so as to investigate. Suddenly one of the residents of the building next to us came out and said that the soldiers of late had been taking people in the room next to the checkpoint and beating them. He said he had already seen one man who had been inside coming out on all fours. In the meantime the commander signed to us that we should come through the checkpoint to have our ids checked. This we did and in the meantime saw that there were 15 men detained outside and still more inside the room but we were not allowed to speak to them. After we had passed the checkpoint we phoned Arik (the commander of the border police at the Jerusalem seam) and he said that he would come immediately to the checkpoint. In the meantime the commander who had come to speak to us said that he had called in the police because they had jumped over the fence and had done damage to is. It seems he sees them as a nuisance and wants to teach them a lesson. In the meantime Arik came and took the commander aside to speak to him and then told all the detainees to go to the gate at Ar-Ram to wait for him. We could then speak to the detainees who said that the soldiers had not beaten them. But the security guards had shouted and threatened them and slapped one young man. They all then went in the direction of the wall except for one who had been accused of cutting the fence. We saw Arik returning their ids to them at the wall. 16.08 Qalandiya Two lanes were open and as it was after 4 no one was waiting at the DCO. 16.19 – We went to the car lane where we saw security guards and the dog trainer. Their superior tried to send us away from where we could see what was happening. He claimed that we were disturbing their work. We told him we were entitled to stand there and did so. A driver going in the direction of Ramallah asked us if the security guards had the right to demand to see the ids of people. After a few minutes Abuchatzeira arrived and he said that they were only allowed to do so if they were arresting someone. But he said that a law was being proposed to be laid before the government giving them the same rights as soldiers and police have.16:30 – We went back to the northern side of Qalandiya. We saw that there was no soldier at the northern side where the gates are and this was still so at 17.00. There were no particular problems of passage. 17.00 – We went to the new Ar-Ram where there were 25 cars waiting about 6 minutes. 17.36 – We went back to Qalandiya where the northern entrance was still unmanned (which could have prevented the passage of people with prams or handicapped in wheel chairs). 18.00 – We did not go to Bir Nabalah because of the traffic jam. At Lil there were also no queues.