'It was a terrifying experience': Teacher tear-gassed doing charity work in Palestine

A drama teacher from Godalming has spoken about being tear-gassed while doing charity work in Palestine.

Millie Badman-Smith, 41, head of drama at Broadwater School in Godalming, travelled to Aida and all-Arroub refugee camps in the West Bank, near Bethlehem, at the end of July 2017 along with her photographer partner James Jagger, 42, also from Godalming.

They had gone to work with the Amos Trust, a charity promoting non-violence and reconciliation. Ms Badman-Smith would run drama workshops for refugees while Mr Jagger would document the charity's work with his camera.

At Aida Camp, in the shadow of the Israeli separation wall, they were initially surprised by the refugees' positivity.

Ms Badman-Smith said: "They have this small space that they're living in. They are constantly living under the pressure that someone is going to come with a gun or a tear gas canister, or some and drag them out of their homes and arrest them.

"For someone from Surrey it was astounding to see people live like this.

"Yet they spend their whole time being open and positive and hopeful."

But on their third day at the camp, while walking to look at a local landmark - a large key on top of an archway - Ms Badman-Smith was caught up in something much less positive.

"We were literally just walking down the round," she said.

"I was with three English volunteers and three Palestinian teenagers.

"We got about 100 metres from a guard tower on the separation wall, when some Palestinian boys ran around the corner chased by an armoured car."

The soldiers in the armoured car fired two tear gas canisters at the boys as they ran towards Ms Badman-Smith and her group.

She said: "I saw them laughing. Then they drove up to us. They stopped about 50 yards away and fired more tear gas and a stun grenade.

"We scurried into a tiny front room of a nearby refugee house to get away, but they fired more tear gas and another stun grenade.

"It was a terrifying experience. Tear gas burns, actually burns your eyes and inside your nose, and the stun grenades were deafening."

After hiding for an hour, they were able to leave, but the soldiers returned twice that day, firing tear gas and stun grenades.

Ms Badman-Smith said: "The teenagers we were with were amazing. They were so calm.

"They said it was normal, it happens every day.

"We met some of the kindest, most generous people there, and yet they can't walk down the street without fear.

"It's horrifying."

Ms Badman-Smith's partner, James Jagger, described the experience as "surreal".

He said: "I was my first time seeing something like that. In some ways it's a photographer's dream, but when we got back the reality hit."

The pair returned to Godalming on August 10, where Ms Badman-Smith will continue teaching while Mr Jagger develops his photography business.

But they have clearly been deeply affected by what they saw in the West Bank.

Mr Jagger said: "We both found it difficult to adjust, coming back to a country where you don't have to look over your shoulder to see if there's tear gas coming."

Ms Badman-Smith added: "These people can't leave unless they have a permit. A stray dog has more freedom.

"It's very hard to stomach."

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