In Pictures

Gallery

Nakba day violence on the Israel-Lebanon border

As Palestinians commemorated the loss of their homeland, hundreds of refugees marched on Israel’s northern frontier.

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Palestinians, Lebanese and other activists meet outside Beirut(***)s Mar Elias refugee camp to board buses heading to the right of return protest in south Lebanon [Matthew Cassel]
Published On 18 May 2011
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Along the three-hour bus ride, Hezbollah volunteers pass out water, juice and snacks to the hundreds of buses heading to the right of return protest from across the country [Matthew Cassel]
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In Maroun al-Ras, the village where the protest was held, buses couldn(***)t reach the peak of the hill - so protesters, young and old, were forced to walk up the mountain to reach the protest site [Matthew Cassel]
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Instead of demonstrating on top of the mountain in Maroun al-Ras, thousands of protesters descended the mountain to protest at the fence on the border with Israel. The Lebanese army intervened to prevent most people from reaching the fence [Matthew Cassel]
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An injured protester is carried up the mountain before being taken away in an ambulance [Matthew Cassel]
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A protester stands on the mountain near a line of Lebanese soldiers preventing demonstrators from reaching the border fence [Matthew Cassel]
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A young protester holds a Palestinian flag while shots are fired at the protesters on the border fence further down the mountain in Maroun al-Ras [Matthew Cassel]
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Protesters watch the battle on the border fence from further up on the mountain in Maroun al-Ras [Matthew Cassel]
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Palestinian protesters and Lebanese soldiers clashed when the army tried to prevent demonstrators from reaching the border fence [Matthew Cassel]
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A protester runs away from Lebanese soldiers as he tries to reach the border fence where Palestinians were protesting and being fired upon by Israelis on the other side [Matthew Cassel]
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After a few hours of protest, the Lebanese army began firing in the air for more than 20 minutes, creating a stampede and sending demonstrators fleeing back up the mountain [Matthew Cassel]
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The Lebanese army also used teargas against demonstrators to clear the area further away from the border fence with Israel [Matthew Cassel]
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A sign atop the mountain in Maroun al-Ras overlooking the Israeli border, reading: "The people demand the return to Palestine" [Matthew Cassel]