Soldier: Activists came for war

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3897046,00.html

(Video) Video footage shows brutal attack on troops on board Gaza-bound vessel; soldier says passengers fired at forces, beat them severely using metal bats, knives. ‘We landed barehanded, and they lynched us,’ he says

Amnon Meranda

Published:

05.31.10, 21:48 / Israel News

VIDEO - Video footage of the raid on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara vessel shows activists on board brutally beating up troops with metal rods and chairs. The video also shows one soldier being grabbed by some of the activists and being pushed down to the lower deck, sustaining serious wounds. Meanwhile, passengers on the ship kept on beating up the soldiers who landed on the vessel. Following the takeover of the ship, soldiers displayed for the cameras the knives and other weapons used by the Gaza-bound activists in their attack. One of the soldiers who took part in the raid and broke his hand in the clash recounted the moments of horror when he and his comrades were assaulted by about 30 activists on board. “After every person came down (from the helicopter,) three or four guys grabbed a hold of him and simply beat him senseless. They lynched us. They were equipped with metal bats, knives, slingshots, and glass bottles. At some point we faced live fire by two guys,” he said.