Swedish activist Benjamin Ladra is making his way towards the border of the Czech Republic three months after he started his walk to Palestine to raise awareness of the occupation.
Ladra has met many people during his journey, and stayed with a Palestinian and Syrian couple for a few days while resting in Germany.
Now walking through Dresden in East Germany, Ladra confesses he is feeling slightly cautious, given most of the city voted for Germany’s right wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the elections last month.
Young man is walking from Sweden to Palestine, in solidarity with Palestinians. https://t.co/PyooI7iOsP
— Ulme (@muld_ulme) October 9, 2017
“You really learn a lot when you’re out traveling like this. I’ve heard about this city before but only the name. Apparently this is the Nazi capital of Germany.”
“It feels very good to leave this city; it’s not very comfortable carrying this huge flag around,” he says, pointing to the large Palestinian flag he has attached to his trolley.
He jokes that any anti-fascists who wanted to protest against right-wing groups should go to the city in order to challenge their views on immigrants and Muslims.
BDS Movement salutes Israeli psychiatrist's solidarity with Palestine & her determination to end Israel's occupation https://t.co/gFcX4Acqyd
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) October 7, 2017
However, he emphasizes that his stay in the city has been nice overall.
“But I also met some good people here, not to blame Dresden for anything, there are good people as well and lovely food.”
He notes that he broke his tent recently, but says that he managed to sew it together and buy a pole to keep it up. Whilst occasionally staying with people he meets along the way, Ladra has otherwise been sleeping in the tent on the roadside before setting off again.
In the eyes of the Israel Lobby Roger Waters is public enemy number one for expressing solidarity w/Palestinians. https://t.co/N5Z5CVQUwB
— Susi Snowflake (@palestininianpr) October 7, 2017
“If you are resourceful you will make it and I try to be as resourceful as I can. I really have no choice,” he laughs.
Ladra hopes to arrive in Prague next week, before crossing through the rest of the Czech Republic and into Austria. He has given himself a year to make the journey to Palestine, which he will be completing entirely by foot.
The Palestinian flag may have been removed at al-Aqsa Mosque but in Ireland, it flies in the face of Israel pic.twitter.com/n5k3de8Qra
— Days of Palestine (@DaysofPalestine) July 29, 2017
Ladra chose to make the journey to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Balfour Declaration which provided international legitimacy for the Zionist project which led to the subsequent creation of the State of Israel, and the displacement of nearly one million Palestinians in 1948.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
May the road rise to meet you, the wind be behind you…..I hear that about one hundred years ago Palestine was the most beautiful place to live for everyone, Sami Hadawi’s words, memoirs and reflections of a Palestinian. Can’t turn the clock back but steps forward always offer hope. Well done young man.