arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Today is such a sunny day…the kind of day when you do not want to be at the office. I begin the work as usual…until somebody tell us not to panic because there are many soldiers around. I go out with my digital camera. And well…they are all over.

How strange to see the new Palestinian security forces in the streets, standing there while there were a military incursion in Ramallah. The soldiers are looking for something in the banks. I am running around with my camera but need the other one. My big one….so I go back to the flat. They are also in the old city. They are shootings in the main street…..stones flying. We go to check with Karine, an intern with me in the organization, and Amneh a Palestinian who is working w ith us. Ahmneh is so cool and calm and tell us where we can go. Amazing how the Palestinians can be cool in that kind of situation…they are watching, they are laughing at me because I could not help myself jumping at every shot.

We stay with all the journalists, as it seems to be the safest. The soldiers do not really seem to know what they are doing and they look surprised to face such an harassment. Stones flying and everything the young boys can find on top of the roofs. Barricades are soon up. The street is looking as a battlefield. The soldiers seem to go out…so we left, back to the office where it is quite amazing to see that people just continue to work as usual, as if nothing was happening around. But I guess that also they are used to it. Anyway I cannot just sit down and concentrate. This is still going on, so I just go back.

The soldiers are still there and the stones are still raining. And then I do not know how but I got into a bad position and had to stay inside a shoe shop that closed its iron curtain.

The stone throwers are now in front of that shop. At every frightening noise, the owner smiles at me. We wait that the storm of stones calms down around a cup of tea and have to back down to avoid the smell of the gaz. I am calling the office that are worried and they are all leaving. They told me to do the same. There is curfew of course. So I left by the back door. Soldiers and stone throwers are all around so I tried to avoid them by jumping over fences and walls…soon I am in familiar streets near my flat and can relax a bit…

The soldiers left at midnight, did they just do the biggest robbery ever? Just million of dollars…. Until now they never go so far as attacking the Palestinian financial system. It adds to the general feeling of instability and helplessness…. What will remain immune?
I have to go back to the shoe shop to say thanks to the owner to have made me feel almost comfortable in a very tricky situation...