An annual charity cycle ride is coming to South Wales for the very first time this summer. More than 300 cyclists from across the UK and Europe have registered to take part in the four-day Big Ride for Palestine which will start in Swansea on 3 August and finish in Bristol.
The ride is set to raise £75,000 for charities helping Palestinians. The Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) specialises in working with children who have been traumatised by living under Israel's brutal military occupation and siege. The Amos Trust and Gaza Sunbirds plan to sponsor para-cycling races in Gaza to help the Palestinians realise their dream of forming a team for the Paralympics in 2024.
"I've witnessed the daily oppression of the Palestinian people, with discrimination, violence and the general inhumanity of the occupation," said Ellen Logan, one of the organisers of the ride. "We are doing something that can help children and disabled cyclists in a practical way."
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Calling at Cardiff and Newport on the way from Swansea to Bristol, with an extra half-day ride on Sunday 6 August, the Big Ride for Palestine will finish with a cultural event at the Palestine Museum in Bristol featuring Palestinian Bedouin DJ Mo'Min Swaitat and the Majazz Project.
Actress and activist Maxine Peake will be joining the riders in Newport on Friday 5 August. "I have spoken out about the occupation of Palestine for many years and strongly believe that supporting the people of Palestine is a human rights issue that we should all get behind," she explained. "The Big Ride for Palestine is an annual event that brings people of all backgrounds together to raise awareness of the ongoing human rights abuses Palestinians face on a daily basis. The combination of cycling and hundreds of people wearing the flag of Palestine is a powerful visual message, and I am proud to be a supporter of this wonderful fundraising event, and encourage others to get involved."
The Big Ride was founded in 2015 by activists in Britain, Ireland and beyond who wanted to combine a love of cycling with support for the Palestinian people. It is sponsored by a number of campaigning organisations including Palestine Solidarity Campaign, War on Want, Unison, Jews for Justice for Palestinians and Football Against Apartheid.
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