Ar-Ram, Qalandiya Tuesday, 15/2/2005 PMWatchers: Norah O. Roni H. Aya K. and Iris B. (reporting)Ar-Ram 16:00Short line of people making their way towards Jerusalem. Two women and two men are detained for about an hour now. They were making their way back home (north towards Ramallah) on a bus when the bus was randomly stopped and their IDs checked. Since they reside in the occupied territories and had no permission to go to Jerusalem they are now retroactively being punished. The commander "explains" that he can detain them up to three hours but after 10 minutes they are called to sign that familiar form and released. Qalandiya 16:35Lots of people are making their way on both sides of the check-point. No major problems or stalled lines. The "humanitarian" line has changed its objective and functions now as passage to those who have large bags, baby-carriages, wheelchairs ets. Most of all, it is a passage for those who have the knowledge, and "nerve" to try to go a different way, other than miserably being trapped in those really narrow carousels. Again, we witness the intolerably harsh situations whereby people are forced to maneuver through the gates. I remember that afternoon when we were told by Emil that the carousels are gone for ever… In any case, there is a different line for women and for men (the soldiers insist on it), but in the end, everyone goes through the carousel and the magnometer. Two more carousels have been installed and we guess that they will serve to check those who are making their way into Ramallah. One of the soldiers is documenting which "colors" the identification cards people who cross towards Jerusalem hold. We made our way north towards the taxis. As always, we hear various stories:The first one is on a happy note: in the morning, a pregnant woman was making her way towards Ramallah with her mom when suddenly she was having strong pain and the delivery actually started. A man stepped out of his car and offered to take her quickly to the hospital. The soldiers have made sure he crossed the checkpoint quickly and while he was crossing, the woman gave birth in the car! An ambulance was then called to take the mother and child to a hospital. The rest of the stories are distressing as always. S' tells us that his brother died two weeks ago in Augusta Victoria hospital. He came to the check point on January 29th with all permissions needed in order to get the body into Qalandiya. S' got to the cp and began talking with the commander in charge when he felt that somebody was holding his arm. He turned back quickly thinking that it's one of his friends when suddenly he was thrown violently on the ground. Looking up he saw that it was one of the soldiers who did it and was now cursing and yelling on him. S' was really hurt. It was a hard day for him anyway and now this. He called Dalia Basa and she asked him to write a complaint. S' has no time to write the complaint and in any case, he asks: "what would they do to this soldier anyway?"Upon making our way home we are approached by several taxi drivers who want to tell us that in various hours of the day, a brutal border control soldier is harassing them all. He beats people with his helmet and yells various curses that the paper will not tolerate – neither can they. Some show us their fresh wounds and all are extremely upset.On our way back to Ar-ram, in the taxi, I feel angry and aggravated; how can it be that the brutality and despicableness are shamelessly being carried on in daylight on a daily basis in various parts of the cp and its surroundings! And most frustratingly: who hears these stories anyway? Who will carry on this loud cry of so many people? Where can they complain and to whom? And once they complain, who will take care of their complaints – who will punish? Who really cares about it all?