"It's a  game,
like cat & mouse..."

 
 
 
 

Photograph by Laurent Van Der Stockt

Laurent Van Der Stockt:   "We were at a crossroads in Ramallah on the first Friday after the election of Sharon, a Palestinian day of rage. I went there to photograph the clashes. I felt comfortable to walk around and be with the demonstrators. It's not like being in Grozny, where you're taking the risk of being killed by a bomb. It's a game, like cat and mouse. The Israelis arrived in jeeps, and the demonstrators tried to provoke the army to go further. Then the army shot tear gas. I ran a bit and turned back to take a picture. That's when I saw that I was in the line of fire. I wasn't scared. The Israelis hadn't shot live bullets at the people in the streets all afternoon. But then Israeli snipers shot once and that bullet hit the middle of my knee. I immediately thought of losing my leg. I turned and started to walk, fell, did three steps and fell again. At first it wasn't so painful. I was just angry. I have been shooting wars for 10 years. I'd always been so careful that I thought nothing would happen to me. The pain started in the ambulance. I was saying to the doctor: 'Look, look, you have to stop the blood. Do it quick.' I will go back. But I don't want to be in the middle of a crowd again."