On 18 March 2025, award-winning playwright Peter Oswald set out on an extraordinary journey. Walking from Bristol to London, over the last 13 days of Ramadan, and entirely while fasting, Oswald has now completed his 150 mile pilgrimage for Palestine.
Peter Oswald completes his pilgrimage for Palestine
Founder of the Hands Up Project Nick Bilbrough joined him, accompanying Oswald by bicycle. The walk culminated at Parliament Square on 30 March at 2pm.
Dubbed ‘The Pilgrimage for Palestine’, the initiative aimed to raise awareness of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine, challenge rising Islamophobia in the UK, and raise funds for the Hands Up Project. The UK-based charity connects children around the world with young people in Palestine through creative storytelling and education.
The journey has so far raised over £18,000 and captured the imagination of the nation. It has drawn coverage from multiple outlets including Al Jazeera, the Independent, and the London Evening Standard.
Oswald said:
This pilgrimage was an act of empathy and resistance. It was a public declaration that we will not look away.
A walk of remembrance, resistance, and solidarity
Throughout the route, Oswald and Bilbrough stopped in towns and cities to sell poetry collections written by Palestinian children through the Hands Up Project. Tragically, Israel has since killed some of the young authors – their poems now a heartbreaking testament to the lives lost and the dreams stolen.
In Newbury, the pilgrims were welcomed by the mayor, who – despite criticism – opened the council chamber to offer shelter to a crowd of supporters and briefly flew the Palestinian flag from Town Hall.
In Bristol, Feda Shahien from the Bournemouth Red Line presented Oswald with the key to her grandmother’s home, from which her family was forcibly displaced during the 1948 Nakba. Oswald later handed the key to a young Palestinian woman in traditional dress in Parliament Square – symbolising both remembrance and resistance.
The march was not without confrontation. At its conclusion, the pilgrims were targeted by Zionist protesters, one of whom threw liquid at them, leading to a police arrest.
Yet solidarity remained the heart of the journey. At every stop, local mosques and Muslim communities welcomed the pilgrims to break fast at iftar, join in prayer, and share moments of reflection and unity.
Peter Oswald: ‘the world must not look away’
On 31 March, Peter Oswald concluded his pilgrimage with a powerful event at the Marylebone Theatre. Comedian Jen Brister hosted it.
Highlights included:
- A performance from The Arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu by Enfield People’s Theatre
- Poetry by Fatima, one of the Filton 18, read by her mother Sukaina Zainab
- Recordings and translations of work by Gazan poet Batool Abu Akleen, underscored by the sounds of drones and gunfire
- Reflections from Peter Oswald and Nick Bilbrough
- A closing iftar at iconic Palestinian restaurant Shakeshuka, opened specially for the occasion.
During the pilgrimage, Israel once again shattered the ceasefire in Gaza. The pilgrims remained in contact with Ashraf Kuhail, a Hands Up Project teacher in Gaza. Kuhail continues teaching despite bombardment and blockade.
Bilbrough said:
We will never stop being witnesses. The world must not look away.
Organised by the Bristol Palestine Alliance, The Pilgrimage for Palestine is now evolving into an ongoing activist initiative. Future projects include a storytelling pilgrimage and other community-led actions rooted in art, resistance, and justice.
Featured image supplied
