IT'S ON CRUISE CONTROL
TuSimple's autonomous truck cuts 10 hours off 900-mile trek across the US

By Nick Lavars
May 20, 2021

One of TuSimple's self-driving trucks in action
TuSimple
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With ambitions to establish a network of autonomous trucking routes across the US, transport startup TuSimple is taking some steady and significant steps forward as it proves its technology through trials and expands into Europe. The latest test run for its self-driving trucks involved hauling a load of fresh produce over hundreds of miles across the US, where it demonstrated that it can complete such tasks in a fast and highly efficient fashion.

Previously, we've seen TuSimple's Level 4 autonomous trucks use its variety of cameras and sensors to move goods as part of trials for the US Postal Service and shipping giant UPS. This time around, the startup has partnered with fresh produce provider The Giumarra Companies and Associated Wholesale Grocers to explore autonomous trucking's potential in the fresh food industry.

The trial started in Nogales, Arizona, where TuSimple's truck was loaded up with fresh watermelons from Giumarra's facility. The load was then carried across four states to Associated Wholesale Grocers's distribution center in Oklahoma City, where it was inspected and then distributed to stores around the state.

TuSimple's self-driving truck is capable of Level 4 autonomy
TuSimple

TuSimple's autonomous systems handled a 900-mile (1,450-km) leg of this journey, between Tucson, Arizona and Dallas, Texas, with human drivers managing the first and last sections at either end. It is required by law to have a human safety driver onboard for such operations in the US, but because the truck could operate nearly nonstop, it was able to complete this "middle-mile" journey in 14 hours and 6 minutes, compared to the 24 hours and 6 minutes it usually takes a human driver, which is 42 percent faster.

"We believe the food industry is one of many that will greatly benefit from the use of TuSimple's autonomous trucking technology," said Jim Mullen, Chief Administrative Officer at TuSimple. "Given the fact that autonomous trucks can operate nearly continuously without taking a break means fresh produce can be moved from origin to destination faster, resulting in fresher food and less waste."

Source: TuSimple via PRNewswire

Burly new Ristretto ebike delivers a 40-mph electric boost

By Ben Coxworth
May 20, 2021

The Ristretto 303 FS is presently on Indiegogo

While some ebikes are pretty much conventional bicycles with electric-assist motors, others are more like electric motorcycles with pedals. Offering a top speed of 40 mph, the Ristretto 303 FS definitely falls into the latter category.

Designed by Colorado-based startup Ristretto, the ebike is officially named the Ristretto 303 FS Founders Edition, and it's being manufactured in a limited-edition run of 500 units.

Without a doubt, one of its most prominent features is its custom-designed, 3,500-watt, CYC mid-drive motor. It can be set either to Street Legal Mode – in which it boosts the rider's pedalling power up to a not-necessarily-street-legal speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) – or Race Mode, wherein it maxes out at 40 mph (64 km/h).

Motor power is provided by a down-tube-mounted 52-volt/17.5-Ah Panasonic lithium-ion battery, which should reportedly be good for a range of 35 to 55 miles (56 to 89 km) per five- to six-hour charge – needless to say, that depends on factors such as the mode, and the level of electrical assistance selected.


The Italian word "ristretto" refers to a highly concentrated shot of espresso coffee
Ristretto

Some of the 303 FS' other features include an aluminum frame, Shimano 11-speed drivetrain, 26 by 4-inch Teravail Coronado fatbike tires, a Bluetooth-connected waterproof LCD display, dual TRP hydraulic disk brakes, dual LED head- and tail lights, plus Wotefusi front and rear suspension with adjustable preload, compression and rebound.

The whole ebike tips the scales at a claimed 84 lb (38 kg), and can accommodate riders weighing up to 325 lb (147 kg).

Should you be interested, the Ristretto 303 FS is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of US$3,099 will get you one, in your choice of 10 color schemes. The planned retail price is $3,920.

Sources: Indiegogo, Ristretto

Juiced rolls out step-through version of RipCurrent S fat-tire ebike
By Paul Ridden
May 19, 2021

The RipCurrent S Step-Through fat-tire ebike has both cadence and torque pedal-assist sensing, and a thumb throttle too
Juiced Bikes

Back in 2018, California's Juiced Bikes launched "the ultimate fat-tire commuter ebike" in the shape of the RipCurrent S. Now the company has launched a sibling rocking a step-through frame to appeal to a wider pool of riders.

"With the RipCurrent S Step-Through, we really wanted to appeal to an even broader audience," said Juiced CEO, Tora Harris. "The original RipCurrent S is one of our best-selling bikes, but I thought it was important to offer this model to a much wider group of riders. By making a step-through frame and adding a range of colors, both new ebike riders and experienced ones get an insane riding experience that we're incredibly proud of.

Pretty much the only difference between the existing step-over RipCurrent S and the new model is that step-through custom aluminum frame. So what you get is a fat-tired ebike that comes set up as a Class 2 ebike, but can be configured as a Class 3 if desired and offers a comfortable upright riding stance.

The Bafang 750-W Geared Hub motor (1,300-W peak) produces 80 Nm (59 lb.ft) of torque and offers a top pedal-assist speed of 28 mph (45 km/h), while the 995-Wh lockable and removable battery pack that's mounted to the downtube boasts a per-charge range of over 70 miles (110+ km) in Eco assist mode.


The RipCurrent S Step-Through ebike has been launched to appeal to a broader range of riders
Juiced Bikes

There are both torque and cadence sensors for the pedal-assist system, with five power modes available – plus a Race Track mode that unlocks more performance for up to 30 mph (48 km/h) of motor assist. And a thumb throttle is included too, for those times you just want to zip along at up to 20 mph (32 km/h) without putting any effort in. A LCD Matrix display lets the riders see what's going on.

Elsewhere, the new ride has a 9-speed Shimano derailleur for ride flexibility, an air-suspension fork with 80 mm of travel for helping to smooth out some of the bumps along the way, aluminum rims wrapped in 26-inch Kenda Krusade all-terrain fat tires that are resistant to punctures for more time riding and less time in the flat zone, and Tektro hydraulic disc braking with 180-mm rotors.


LED lighting front (1,050 lumens) and rear, a rack out back for hauling up to 50 lb (22.6 kg) of cargo, and included fenders to help reduce splashes when riding through the wet, complete the notable specs list.

The new step-through model goes up for pre-order today in four color options for US$2,699, with the first shipments expected to start from mid-June.

Product page: RipCurrent S Step-Through

World's first supercapacitor-hybrid electric motorcycle will get a chance to prove itself
By Loz Blain
May 19, 2021

The lower part of the Nawa Racer's body houses 9 kWh of lithium batteries and the upper part holds a 0.1-kWh ultracapacitor that Nawa says can nearly double its urban range
Nawa Technologies

Audacious French company Nawa showed off a concept bike in 2019, claiming its supercapacitor-hybrid battery pack could massively boost power and urban range for electric motorcycles. Now, it seems we'll get a chance to see if the numbers stack up.

We've been following Nawa since 2018, when we first spoke to these guys about the potential benefits of using powerful ultracapacitors alongside energy-dense lithium batteries to extend the range and boost the peak power of electric vehicles.

The company wrapped the idea up into a futuristic-looking concept bike for CES 2020, and put some outrageous figures to its claims. Using a 9-kWh lithium battery, you would expect to get around 180 km (110 miles) of urban riding out of a full charge. The Nawa Racer proposed that adding a 0.1-kWh ultracapacitor to the system would boost that range up to around 300 km (180 miles), while unlocking some serious acceleration power to boot.

How? Well, ultracapacitors might not store much energy by weight or volume – indeed, the 0.1-kWh ultracapacitor is about as big as the entire 9-kWh battery on the racer – but they can charge and discharge much faster than lithium batteries. Nawa claims that battery-powered EVs are limited in their regenerative braking capabilities by the speed at which their batteries can receive charge, and that its ultracaps can do the job so much better that you can get radical leaps in urban range, as well as bonus boost power, for less than what it'd cost you to upsize the battery.


The non-functional CES concept bike made enough of a splash that Nawa has decided to build this thing for real, showcasing the potential of its ultracapacitor systems in the EV world
Nawa Technologies

We keep stressing this is about urban range, because an ultracapacitor will do nothing to help your bike fight wind resistance for long stretches on the highway. This is all about start-stop use cases around town, where the capacitor can turn as much stop energy back into start energy as possible.

Now, we've had a couple of skeptics quietly question the validity of the Nawa Racer's claims off the record, saying that high-performance lithium batteries can accept charge quickly enough that you'd have to be braking pretty damn hard before the battery becomes a bottleneck and an ultracapacitor starts grabbing enough extra energy to make an appreciable difference in range.

We don't pretend to know the answers, but it looks like we might get a chance to find out. Nawa says it received such a positive reaction to the Racer that it's teaming up with a group of specialists to build a fully functional prototype.

With Nawa founder and CTO Pascal Boulanger supplying the initial sketches, the design work was handled by Envisage Group in the UK. Moving forward, Akka Technologies will be developing the powertrain and aluminum body for the bike, FAAR SAS will be developing the battery management system, and its subsidiary Pronergy is working on a multi-mode electronic power distribution system capable of balancing loads between the battery and ultracapacitor to achieve specific goals. The bike will be tested by YSY Group.

The hubless rear wheel almost goes unnoticed on such a radically futuristic design
Nawa Technologies

This upcoming "dynamic prototype" is expected to make its debut in Q3 this year, and we'll be very interested to see how it performs. Supercapacitor tech made a fairly spectacular debut in the production automotive world in the Lamborghini Sian, but its potential alongside battery-electric systems could yet prove to be a game-changer in the EV world.

Nawa is comfortable making some pretty extraordinary claims; this is the same company that says its "world's fastest electrodes" using vertically aligned carbon nanotubes can triple the energy-carrying capacity of lithium batteries, and potentially unlock even bigger energy storage gains using non-lithium battery chemistries – without adding much to the price.

So it's great to see Nawa making moves to build the Racer and have a separate company put it to the test so we can all see what happens when the rubber meets the road. Watch this space, and check out the video showing the design of the bike below.

Piaggio offers first look at One e-scooter ahead of full Beijing reveal
By Paul Ridden
May 24, 2021

The Piaggio One electric scooter is being squarely aimed at young riders, and will launch in Europe from the end of June 2021
Piaggio

Piaggio has previewed the One electric scooter ahead of its official launch at the Beijing Motor Show on May 28. The company is embracing the young market that the e-scoot is aimed at by debuting the new ride on popular video-sharing service TikTok.

Details are fairly light for Piaggio's latest electric scooter, but we do know that it features a good-sized digital instrument panel which boasts a sensor that automatically brightens or dims the display dependent on ambient conditions. As it's billed as a smart e-scooter, we can likely expect to see app integration for remote tracking, scooter diagnostics and more, and possibly such things as turn-by-turn navigation and anti-theft measures.


Piaggio describes the One electric scooter as "a fusion of color, imagination, style, safety and technology"
Piaggio

Described as lightweight and easy to ride, the One has much the same look as a conventional fuel-powered step-through like the company's Zip models originally launched in the mid-1990s. It offers a keyless start system, rocks a low seat and roomy footplate, the passenger gets to plonk their feet on pull-out pegs, and there's handy storage beneath the seat, which Piaggio reckons is unique to its category.

The company says that the One is being made available in a number of power options (to match motorcycle and moped permit requirements) and will come with different battery capacities, but all battery packs are removable Li-ion batteries for easy charging indoors.

The e-scooter has two LED eyes to the front with daylight running, as well as LED tail-lights and turn indicators. There are twin shocks at the back and one to the front, and stopping power comes from disc braking.

Power options to match motorcycle and moped permit requirements are being offered, though no details have been revealed as yet
Piaggio

Though no pricing has been revealed at this stage, Piaggio is aiming the One at younger riders so hopefully it will scoot in as a cheaper option than the electric Vespa. It's scheduled to hit the streets of Europe from the end of June, but is described as a global e-mobility solution so will very likely be available in other markets shortly thereafter. Expect more details to emerge later in the week.

Source: Piaggio

Tarform Luna electric motorcycle gets sleek new cafe racer version
By Loz Blain
May 23, 2021

Tarform's Luna electric motorcycle gets a new cafe racer version
Paola Franqui / Tarform

Brooklyn's Tarform Motorcycles has released the cafe racer version of its Luna electric motorcycle. It's not vastly different from the original Scrambler version, but it highlights the modular flexibility of the platform and has a few nice touches.

With production still set to begin this year, Tarform is now offering two versions of the Luna, both priced at the same rather harsh US$24,000. The original bike is now known as the Scrambler Edition, with a hint of off-road flavor, and the new one will be known as the Racer Edition.

Little of substance changes here; both bikes share the same retro-futuristic body shape, the same 11.8-kWh battery pack, the same 55-hp electric motor and the same 440-lb (200-kg) weight.

The changes are thus mainly aesthetic, with a side order of functionality; the Racer Edition will wear slightly less funky-looking Avon Sport ST street tires, it'll sit an inch and a half lower on firmer, street-focused suspension. The unassuming headlight bucket on the Scrambler is replaced with a grilled-over aerodynamic mini-fairing that works with the look of the bike. The battery box gets some new wavy lines, which we think look terrific – although they've done a pretty good job there with the Scrambler, too.


The changes are primarily aesthetic, with black anodized bars, swingarm, indicators and mirrors, and a new headlight unit
Paola Franqui / Tarform

And then there's the handlebars. Probably the most recognizable part of the cafe racer aesthetic is a pair of low-slung clip-ons on a naked bike. Not here. The Tarform Luna Racer Edition has the same sensuously machined metal flat bar as the Scrambler, but here it's anodized in black, along with the swingarm, pillion footrests, mirrors and indicator pods.

Cafe racer aficionados might bemoan the lack of downward-angled clip-ons, and the associated riding position, but the modular concept here doesn't go quite that far. The bike's attractive digital dash is built into the handlebar assembly, so the bar stays.

While 24 grand is a lot for a motorcycle, especially one that probably only goes around 120 miles (~200 km) around town, or 60-odd miles (~100 km) on the highway before it needs a long stop at a charge point, Tarform does throw in some tasty bits and pieces to sweeten the deal: keyless ignition, a 180-degree rear view camera and haptic bliindspot feedback through the bars are probably the highlights.

The pretty machined flat bar stays, which will annoy cafe racer connoisseurs
Paola Franqui / Tarform

There's also a "sonic aura" acoustic sound to announce your presence on the street, regen braking, Bluetooth connectivity, three riding modes and a 3.5-kW onboard charger.

There's still no word on what suspension and brakes the regular bikes will rock, but if you get a Founder Edition (price unknown), you can get yourself some Ohlins gear front and rear with fancy ISR Performance brakes, as well as hand-formed aluminum for the bodywork and trellis frame, wherever that's supposed to be.

Tarform's taking $500 deposits now, with bikes allegedly rolling later this year. They're certainly nice lookers. The video below shows the Scrambler version, so just pretend some bits are black.

Survey: 31% of UK motorcyclists would quit riding if forced to go electric
By Loz Blain
May 24, 2021

No gasoline? We quit, say 31% of UK motorcyclists in a new survey from the Motorcycle Action Group

ljsphotography/Depositphotos


In order to shift to a zero carbon economy, fossil fuel powered vehicles will have to be phased out. The UK Government announced last year that new petrol and diesel powered cars and vans will no longer be sold in the UK from 2030, a target that only Norway expects to beat with its own ban starting in 2025.

Motorcycles have not been explicitly included in the ban, but a UK rider advocacy organization has polled some 4,805 motorcyclists to ask how they'd react if petrol-powered bikes were restricted from sale.

The respondents were mainly enthusiasts, as opposed to a random sampling of daily commuters or license holders, so you'd expect to see some resistance to the idea. And indeed, only 8.1 percent of those polled would want the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) to immediately accept such a ban, with 36.4 percent saying they'd want MAG to delay it and 55.5 percent in complete opposition to such a proposal.

But when asked what they'd do if such a ban was implemented, a surprising number of riders – 31 percent – said they'd quit riding altogether when new petrol-powered bikes become unavailable, rather than continuing to ride petrol-powered bikes as long as possible before switching to electric (56.2 percent) or buying a zero-emissions bike early when petrol-powered models are still available (13 percent).

Now, some of this result can surely be attributed to the clumsy wording of the survey, as shown below.

Some of this result can be attributed to a poorly worded survey question
Motorcycle Action Group UK

But the overall sentiment stands, and it's worth discussing. Motorcycle riders – enthusiasts in particular – have some genuine reasons to resist going electric. When you ride for fun, you want to be able to pile on big miles in a day, while applying throttle the way my grandad applied butter and salt to potatoes.

Using current battery technology, a fast sports touring ride covering 500 miles (800 km) of ground would require several long charge stops, and I've ridden with plenty of riders who start staring daggers if somebody takes too long to smoke a cigarette. Bigger batteries aren't necessarily the answer, either; motorcycles rapidly become less agile as they gain weight.

Then there's the noise thing, which comes in two forms: "loud pipes save lives," and "I just really like the sound of my engine." As to the first, while nobody will ever be convinced to change their opinion, several studies have concluded that the "loud pipes save lives" meme has no basis in evidence.

A Romanian study earlier this year illustrated why; when a car's running its engine at ~2500 rpm with the windows shut and quiet music on the stereo, drivers simply can't hear anything, even when bikes with 110-decibel aftermarket pipes are revving to the redline, as little as 10 meters (33 ft) away. Here, check out the video, as if it'll make any difference.

Do loud pipes save lives? Now you have the answer!

As to enjoying the sound of a screaming engine, I can sympathize. Loud noises are exciting, especially ones that rise in pitch and volume accompanied by a rush of acceleration. The soundtrack of a roaring superbike or a thundering cruiser definitely adds to the adrenaline and the experience. On the other hand, you don't need engine sound on a single-speed electric the way you do on a combustion bike. You're always in the powerband, as it were, with big torque and acceleration available whenever you want it. RPM is much less important, so the sound is no longer essential information.

But to spit the dummy and quit outright, to give up riding altogether rather than have anything to do with an electric motorcycle? Way to miss out on a hell of an experience. The light bulb came on for me back in 2014 with the Zero SR, and the monstrous Lightning LS-218 cemented things for me: riding electric is different, but it's awesome. Without the engine noise, the vibrations, the clutch or the gear lever, there's a pure "you and the painted lines" feeling that lets you concentrate on precision cornering, enjoying super-detailed road surface feedback through the bike and a mammoth rush of speed whenever you want it. It's a different animal, to quote the late, great Kobe Bryant, but the same beast.

Energy storage will be solved, fast charging infrastructure will be rolled out, and combustion vehicles will eventually cease to be sold, however long that takes. The electric-only age is coming. It will offer performance levels even more extreme that what we've been treated to in the oil age. And if you're too hung up on petrol bikes to enjoy it, it seems to me you're only robbing yourself.

Source: Motorcycle Action Group

TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

Fisker to build first all-electric popemobile for Pope Francis

By Nick Lavars
May 23, 2021

A render of the electric SUV Fisker is building for Pope Francis
Fisker/Business Wire

After unveiling its long-awaited Ocean SUV at CES last year, electric vehicle startup Fisker is turning its attention to papal transport, revealing plans to develop a purpose-built all-electric vehicle for Pope Francis. The car will be based on the Ocean, which the company says is well-suited to such applications, and is expected to be delivered to His Holiness next year.

Fisker unveiled its Ocean SUV last year, revealing what it calls the world's most sustainable vehicle, with a 80-kWh battery pack offering a range of 250 to 300 miles (402 to 483 km). Other eco-friendly features include vegan-friendly materials throughout the interior, such as carpet made from plastic waste recovered from the ocean. There is also a full-length solar roof that Fisker claims can generate enough energy to power the car across an extra 1,000 miles (1,600 km) each year.

"I got inspired reading that Pope Francis is very considerate about the environment and the impact of climate change for future generations," says Fisker co-founder Henrik Fisker. "The interior of the Fisker Ocean papal transport will contain a variety of sustainable materials, including carpets made from recycled plastic bottles from the ocean."

Fisker co-founders Henrik Fisker and Dr. Geeta Gupta-Fisker with the Pope during a visit to Vatican City
Fisker/Business Wire

This isn't the first time we've seen electric vehicles used to improve the eco-credentials of the Vatican, with Pope Francis previously receiving a Nissan Leaf in 2017, and Pope Benedict XVI receiving a modified all-electric Kangoo Maxi Z.E. from Renault back in 2012. But this will be the first all-electric popemobile that is intended for public appearances of the Pope.

Fisker says the Ocean's spacious interior lends itself to the design of an all-glass cupola for clear views in and out of the vehicle as the Pope is transported through or near crowds of people. It plans to deliver the one-off EV to Pope Francis next year, while production for the Ocean SUV is expected to kick off in November 2022, with pricing starting at US$37,499.

Source: Fisker

FISKER HAS NOT BUILT ANYTHING YET, ITS ALL PROMO

Surprisingly high mercury levels detected in Greenland glacier meltwater
By Michael Irving
May 24, 2021

A new study has found unexpectedly high levels of mercury in meltwater from glaciers in Greeland
Maridav/Depositphotos


The Greenland Ice Sheet is associated with a range of environmental issues, but now researchers have discovered a surprising new problem that hadn’t been considered before. Glacial meltwater was found to be unexpectedly high in mercury, which could have consequences for the local fishing industry.

The researchers didn’t specifically set out to study mercury levels – it was just one of many elements they were measuring to determine the quality of the water running off melting glaciers. The team took samples of water from three rivers and two fjords near the ice sheet to study the nutrients being delivered to coastal ecosystems.

The team found that the Greenland glacial meltwater rivers contained dissolved mercury levels of more than 150 nanograms per liter (ng L-1), which is up to 150 times higher than an average river. Even more alarming was the find that particulate mercury in the sediment called glacial “flour” was up to 2,000 ng L-1.

“We didn’t expect there would be anywhere near that amount of mercury in the glacial water there,” says Rob Spencer, lead author of the study. “Naturally, we have hypotheses as to what is leading to these high mercury concentrations, but these findings have raised a whole host of questions that we don’t have the answers to yet.”

The two main questions are, of course, where that mercury is coming from and where it’s going. For the first question, the scientists say they don’t believe it originates from human activity, which sounds like good news but might actually make it harder to control.

“All the efforts to manage mercury thus far have come from the idea that the increasing concentrations we have been seeing across the Earth system come primarily from direct anthropogenic activity, like industry,” says Jon Hawkings, first author of the study. “But mercury coming from climatically sensitive environments like glaciers could be a source that is much more difficult to manage.”

As to where the mercury might be going, the researchers are concerned that the toxic heavy metal could make its way into the aquatic food web. From there, it might end up on our dinner plates, since Greenland is a major exporter of seafood. These potential problems need to be investigated, the team says, to assess their full impact.

The research was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Source: Florida State University

Palestinians Are Dreaming of a Third Intifada

BYSERAJ ASSI
05.25.2021

JACOBIN

Rather than crushing their aspirations for freedom, Israeli brutality has united Palestinians more than in decades. Is a third intifada on the horizon?
A Palestinian man sells balloons in front of the rubble of the al-Shuruq building, destroyed by an Israeli air strike, on May 21, 2021, in Gaza City.(MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

While Israel has finally halted its brutal bombing campaign in Gaza — which left hundreds of Palestinians dead and thousands displaced and homeless — the grim reality of life under Israeli occupation remains unchanged. The siege of Gaza, the rapid settlement expansion in the West Bank, the “apartheid wall” dividing Israel and the West Bank, the forced displacement of stateless Palestinians in Jerusalem, and the racist violence against Palestinian citizens in Israel all persist even as the bombs have gone quiet. On Monday, Mondoweiss reported that Israeli police are arresting Palestinians en masse in Israel and the occupied territory to “settle scores” following massive demonstrations.

But something crucial has changed. After two weeks of protest — including an unprecedented general strike across Palestine — it’s clear that a new movement of popular resistance has emerged and that Palestinians are more unified than in decades. This cross-border movement both echoes previous uprisings in Palestine and seeks to transcend them.

And nothing looms larger in the collective memory of Palestinians than the two intifadas.

The Two Intifadas

On December 9, 1987, near the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, an Israeli military truck crashed into a civilian car, killing four Palestinian workers, three of whom were from the camp. Demonstrations erupted at the Jabalia camp, during which Israeli army patrols fired on Palestinian protesters, killing dozens, including a seventeen-year-old girl who was shot in the head.

For the next six years, Palestinians revolted. The first intifada, or “uprising,” was a grand display of symbolic resistance. Israel, with all its military might, was rocked by the daily spectacle of Palestinian youths throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at heavily armed Israeli soldiers. Images of Palestinian children facing down Israeli tanks with stones, slingshots, or bare hands shook the world. Boycotts, general strikes, and civil disobedience were used to contest occupation and dispossession.

The intifada was not, as Western media depicted it, a spontaneous uprising. Erupting just as Palestinians marked the twentieth anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, the uprising was led by a new generation of young Palestinians who grew up under the occupation and experienced its inhumanity up close.

By December 1987, some 2,200 armed Jewish settlers occupied nearly half of the Gaza Strip; 650,000 impoverished Palestinians were crowded into the remaining portion, rendering the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. The intifada was an uprising against a system that was, as one Israeli historian put it, “founded on brute force, repression and fear, collaboration and treachery, beatings and torture chambers, and daily intimidation, manipulation, and an all-prevailing sense of humiliation among Palestinians.”

Israel responded to the resistance with disproportionate force, deploying over eighty thousand soldiers, killing and wounding thousands of Palestinians (including children), and displacing even more. Israeli defense minister Yitzhak Rabin ordered his army to “break the bones of Palestinians” as part of Israel’s “Iron Fist” policy.

The “stones intifada,” as Palestinian hailed it, was not meant to defeat Israel but to show the world the inhumanity of the occupation — the beatings, shootings, killings, assassinations, curfews, military checkpoints, house demolitions, forced evictions and deportations, uprooting of trees, mass arrests, extended imprisonments, and detentions without trial. It was meant to force Israel to recognize Palestinians as a people with legitimate aspirations for freedom and dignity.

Still, the revolt was crushed mercilessly. Over the course of the uprising, the Jewish settler population in the West Bank more than doubled, opening a new chapter in Israel’s sweeping colonization of Palestine and Palestinian dispossession.

The intifada left lasting scars in Palestinians’ memory. Trapped in the iron cage created by Israel, and caught between Arab silence and international apathy, Palestinians were abandoned to their fate, and the prospect of a renewed Palestinian uprising became a distant mirage.

Until the second intifada.

On September 28, 2000, Israeli defense minister Ariel Sharon, heavily guarded by Israeli soldiers and policemen, staged a provocative visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Within hours, seven Palestinian protesters defending the holy site were killed by the security forces guarding Sharon.

The following day, Israeli soldiers shot dead twelve-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah in his father’s arms. On the fourth day, twelve Palestinians were felled by Israeli bullets, missiles, tanks, and helicopters.

Within days, the uprising spread all over Palestine and across Israel. The second intifada was underway.

Those who witnessed the failure of the Camp David Summit that summer, where Bill Clinton brought together Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were hardly surprised. For years, millions of disenchanted Palestinians had watched in dismay as Israel, in violation of its peace accord with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, reoccupied the West Bank, annexed East Jerusalem, and expanded its illegal settlements into Palestinian lands.

The intifada laid bare the futility of the so-called peace process. After a decade of negotiations, Palestinians came to realize that the road to freedom and liberation would come not through lavish hotels in Western capitals and negotiating tables but through popular resistance. And rather than mere statehood, their struggle was now for freedom, equality, and basic human rights — a struggle against occupation and apartheid.

The second intifada tore down the intercolonial boundaries demarcated by Israel, as Palestinians inside Israel revolted in solidarity with Palestinians across the border, staging mass protests and strikes and blocking major streets in cities like Haifa and Jaffa. Thirteen of those Palestinians were killed by the Israeli police — a brutal reminder that the promise of Palestinian “citizenship” was nothing but a mere political fiction.

The second intifada was more forceful in character than the first. In an attempt to compel Israel to cease its attacks against civilians and withdraw its forces from Palestinian territories, Palestinian groups, notably Hamas and Islamic Jihad, launched counterattacks inside Israel, including suicide attacks. Israel retaliated by launching attacks against Palestinian villages, towns, and cities, and embarked on a campaign of assassinations, targeting field operatives and political leaders of the intifada, including members of the Palestinian Authority.

Like the first intifada, the second intifada, or “the Aqsa intifada,” was crushed ruthlessly. In a five-year span, more than three thousand Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, including a dozen Palestinian citizens of Israel, and more than ten thousand Palestinian children were wounded.

Palestinians emerged from the uprising with dashed aspirations for freedom and independence. Before the intifada had even been quelled, Israel had started building its apartheid wall — cutting deep into Palestinian territory in the West Bank and rewarding Jewish settlers with the annexed land.
The Next Intifada?

Today, the prospect of Palestinian statehood is virtually dead, thanks to Israel’s unceasing expansion into Palestinian land and the rapid proliferation of Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

From the systemic disenfranchisement of Palestinian citizens inside the country to the constant displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, from the daily oppression of those living behind its apartheid wall to the routine humiliation of those living under its apartheid laws — including the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in a stateless limbo in East Jerusalem — Israel continues to brazenly deny Palestinians their basic rights.

Yet rather than eliminating the movement for liberation, Israel’s brutality has begun to unite those subject to its oppressive whims. Palestinians are no longer accepting the segregationist apparatus invented by Israel — a multilayered apartheid system that seeks not only to segregate Palestinians from Jewish settlers but to divide Palestinians themselves into “West Bankers,” “Gazans,” “Israeli citizens,” “Jerusalemites,” and “refugees.” Today, Palestinians everywhere are beginning to stand as one people, united by a shared memory, shared destiny, shared sense of loss and oppression, and shared aspirations for freedom and justice.

As someone who lived through the first and second intifadas, the current protests hit me with a vivid sense of déjà vu. It’s as if every ten or twenty years so a new Palestinian generation rises up in revolt.

Perhaps a third intifada is on the horizon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR                                                                                                                Seraj Assi is the author of The History and Politics of the Bedouin.