FOURTEEN supporters of Bradford-on-Avon Friends of Palestine walked along the Kennet & Avon Canal towpath to Bath Abbey to celebrate the UN International Day of Peace on Monday.

Sunday's sponsored Walk for Peace, Justice and Equality in Palestine raised £1,000 and helped spread the message that the UK government must help to end the Siege of Gaza and recognize the State of Palestine.

Group spokeswoman Judith Hammond said: “A big thank you to all who took part. People can help end the occupation of Palestine by the non-violent application of boycott, divestment and sanctions.

“There is no Peace without Justice and we also walked for Equality because Article One of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’.“We wanted to raise funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians and the town’s Friendship link Project with Tubas.

"Covid regulations meant we are no longer able to run the successful food events in the West Barn as previously, so the idea of a sponsored walk was born.“In normal circumstances we would have given out leaflets en route telling people what we were about but people could read from a distance our ‘washboard’ messages. ‘Walking for Peace / justice/ freedom 4 all etc. which evoked lots of positive ‘good on yer’ type comments as we walked.”Amazingly, the second group had not walked 100 yards when a man called out from his canal boat and unfurled the familiar flag of Palestine.

Mrs Hammond added: “As we left the café at Dundas Wharf a mother with two girls said ‘you’ve got your message across…my daughters have been asking me about your sign’.”

Whilst one group with serious walkers completed the walk in 3.5 hours, most met up at the Holburne Museum café in Sydney Gardens in Bath before proceeding down Pulteney Street and across Pulteney Bridge to Bath Abbey.

Jeremy Key-Pugh, a lay minister at Bath Abbey welcomed the group at the west door and later read some very meaningful prayers for peace.