Press Release, Bi'Lin

This afternoon in 38 degree heat, members of the Bi'lin community lined the streets to greet cyclists from Belgium, the UK, Canada and Sweden. Peace cycle 2009 is an initiative whose aim is to educate foreign visitors to the suffering caused to West Bank communties by the Israeli occupation. Since starting their journey in Amman more than a week ago the group has cycled hundreds of kilometers and witnessed the pain caused to Palestinians by the building of the Apartheid wall and the settlement expansionin the region. They had been joined in the city of Qualquilya by young riders from Palestine's only cycle club who were also cheered as they completed a grueling sixty kilometers to be here..

Arriving in bi'lin, journalist and activist Lauren Booth, also on the convoy, gave an interview to Al Jazeera

. In this she called on her brother in law and Middle East envoy Tony Blair to visit Bi'lin to witness the way in which the peaceful protests here are met with Israeli violence on a weekly basis. Her daughter Alexandra is eight years ld and is the youngest international visitor ever to come to Bi'lin. We thank her for coming and wisht the riders the best of luck on their onward journey through Palestine.


Thank you for you continued support,

Iyad Burnat- Head of Popular Commitee in Bilin
co-founder of Friends of Freedom and Justice - Bilin


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