The March Freedom Ride began in Jenin Refugee Camp on Sunday, when international participants arrived in the shaded court of The Freedom Theatre, drinking Turkish coffee and getting to know each other. In the evening they participated in a cultural event where they were invited to share personal stories, which were then transformed into improvised theatre pieces by the Freedom Bus actors.
The next morning, the Freedom Bus headed out to the Jordan Valley. This Freedom Ride takes place in solidarity with farmer and Bedouin communities in Area C, who are at risk of forced expulsion from a homeland they have inhabited for generations. For 13 days, students, artists and activists from across Palestine and abroad will visit villages in the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills, participating in building and reconstruction work, protective presence activity, guided walks, home-stays, interactive workshops, educational talks and cultural events featuring world-renowned musicians such as Toot Ard, DAM and Ministry of Dub-Key. Through Playback Theatre, residents will also share personal accounts about the realities of life and struggle under settler colonialism, military occupation and state-sanctioned apartheid.
Follow the ride and see more photos on the Freedom Bus blog.