W. Bank Palestinians Tear Down Segment of Barrier Wall

Palestinian activists tore down a section of the Israeli-built barrier that cordons off the West Bank, in a protest that coincides with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Rock-throwing demonstrators cheered Monday as they used a truck to pull down a segment of the wall. Israeli troops used tear gas to disperse the protesters.

The structure is a combination of concrete barriers, fencing and barbed wire that will measure about 700 kilometers long once construction is finished. The United Nations estimates the barrier is more than 60 percent complete.

Israel says it needs the barrier for security, but Palestinians view it as a land-grab. The wall cuts into territory Palestinians want for a future state, putting about 10 percent of the West Bank on the Israeli side of the barrier.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.