Istanbul, MINA – British activist Ruth Herbert is nearing the end of her 6.5-month journey on foot from the UK to Istanbul, a mission aimed at raising donations for Palestinians, Anadolu Agency reported.
Herbert, 52, departed her home in Arnside on May 2 and crossed 12 countries, the UK, France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Greece and finally Türkiye before reaching the outskirts of Istanbul. She is expected to complete her walk on Saturday.
So far, Herbert has raised around £50,000 for Medical Aid for Palestinians, a charity she chose out of a desire to take meaningful action beyond attending protests.
Speaking to Anadolu, Herbert said she felt compelled to do more as she witnessed the suffering of Palestinians.
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“What inspired me to do this was just seeing the suffering of the Palestinians and feeling that I wanted to do something… writing to our governments and going to demonstrations in the UK is quite common but I just felt it wasn’t enough,” she said.
Herbert explained that her goal was to spread hope and connect with people across Europe who supported Palestinian rights. Walking, she added, also helped her process the ongoing horrors in Gaza.
“Being outside and making movement helps you process things mentally,” she said. “I think watching all the horror coming out of Gaza has scarred us all… I wanted to walk to help myself but also to help heal the Palestinians both physically and mentally.”
Herbert emphasized the importance of global solidarity, saying that collective action creates a wave of support.
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“People do feel very strongly about what’s happening in Palestine… any action that we take builds community around the world,” she noted.
Change, she said, takes time:
“We have to hold on to hope and we have to keep fighting… any struggle or movement takes time and we have to be in it for the long haul.”
She stressed that the world’s humanity is tied to the treatment of Palestinians.
“We cannot let a people be wiped out and have their home taken from them and stand by idly. We have to keep fighting for justice… we need peace and justice for Palestine.”
Herbert described the journey as physically demanding but deeply meaningful. Along the way, she encountered generosity from strangers offering food and accommodation.
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“I’m really pleased that I’m nearly at my goal of £50,000… if anybody wants to donate, there’ll be a link,” she added.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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