Walking for Activism: for fitness, for publicity; for a public reaction. But just to mingle in the wonderful British country-side and to enjoy the scenery
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For those ZHRO members in the North, we organised a circuit based from Pickering, North Yorkshire. [YO18 7AS post code for the Eastgate Car Park as the meeting point.]. It is however, a long way from ZHRO's base in Worthing [300 miles away!].
So an over-night stay in Leeds was needed, and an early start to pick up Leeds Branch members, Hillary, Sipilien and Mevis. [7:20am near Leeds Market] - then onto the A64 to York, and Pickering. The Stat-Nav had decided to 'avoid motorways' etc and so took us past Castle Howard, North Yorkshire - very impressive [see more detail via the link]. So we arrived in Pickering at 9:15am. Moses and Daisy were driving down from Newcastle to take part - but got held up in Traffic. So the 4 of us from Leeds got started at 10:00am [see the Flickr Album linked here]. We re-directed Daisy, Moses and their two children to our meeting point at Lockton, some 10 minutes north of Pickering [on the A169] and we intended to meet them there, and then all continue together.
Due to this being a "d
esk-designed" Walk [for Freedom], we encountered a few route issues around noon - [ending up the wrong side of the river etc] - so Myself. Mevis and Sipilien ended up climbing a particularly steep bank - sometimes on all fours! The implication was that we needed to re-route Moses, and Daisy [again] to "Kingthorpe Farm, which was closers- as a meeting point. We all met there, Including Hillary in his electric car around 1:00pm. Photos were taken - and 'Brian' the Farmer came out to see what we were all about - as we were all wearing the same "Walk for Freedom" T shirts. So we do, in fact, manage quite a few 'engagements' with the public on these Walks - so we are able to 'educate' many people about the problems in Zimbabwe, combined with the antagonistic 'stance' of the Home Office.
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Given the harrowing circumsatnces of a change in Home Office policy and a decision [somewhere by someone] to forcibly remove 100 Zimbabweans every month - this aspect dwelt on the minds of all the walkers at sometime or another during the 30 hours on foot!
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On the very early morning of [6:30AM] 21st August 2021, ZHRO members walked for the 5th time [at 65 miles each year, means that the have walked hundreds of miles in the UK] wearing ZHRO T shirts, flying Zimbabwean flags and handing out flyers spreading the message against deportation of Zimbabweans back to Zimbabwe where they fled because of political crisis and dictatorship induced violence.- Details
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UPDATE: Tuesday 17th August 2021: We are now aware that a second forced removal flight has been scheduled to leave the UK on 25th August [or thereabouts] the Change Org Petition has made the position regarding these 'Political stunts' all the more unacceptable in the light of the US/UK failures in the emerging #Afghanistan humanitarian crisis.
We are less than 4 days away and the crisis in #Afghanistan, the political upheaval in Zambia and the continue intransigence in Zimbabwe towards any of those opposing the Zanu PF party continues. [At the time of writing on Tuesday 17th August 2021]. These new issues cast a depression over this "Walk for Freedom" and we invite all those with a 'heart' to consider the plight of others, who are not so fortunate as themselves.
Original Post [15th August 2021]
The weather forecasts (so far) look good - cloudy - but no rain - ideal for a long walk. Keeping cool is part of the strategy - especially one's feet! Plenty of changes of socks and talcum powder.
This year we must welcome Daisy Motlogwa and her husband, Moses, as he was newly released from detention only this week. Daisy will be driving down from Newcastle to Brighton [346 miles distance and expected to take 5 hours and 30 minutes] on the Friday preceding the "Walk for Freedom" [Friday 20th August 2021]. She will be arriving with her 3 children too, and will stay overnight at a local activist's house in adjacent Hove.
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Walk for Freedom was the last four year's themes - and agin ZHRO will keep this. Having had so many freedoms denied in Zimbabwe in 2019/20/21, this is particularly relevant, especially with the abduction in Zimbabwe of the three MDC Youth Leaders, Abduction of Journalists and now the attacks upon the provisions in the Zimbabwe Constitution; [Zimbabwe Updates.] See PROMO WALK DRONE VIDEO AS WELL for some "inspiration"!!
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Walk Training
Training programme for those interested will be released in late April 2021 - Training will go ahead in spite of any future CV19 "Lockdowns" as we will be out in the open air the risks as such are infinitesimally small!. These will be 15-20km each over the next few months. These will increase to 30 plus km by the first week in August/Last Weeks in July in preparation for the main effort starting on Saturday 21st August 2021. Arrive there around 5:30am in order for a prompt 6:30am start. Pictured just outside Christ's Hospital Railway Station some 40km from the starting point in Brighton.
For practice a small band walked from Hampton Court Rail Station, via Richmond Park 0n 16th March 2019, and finished at the Zimbabwe Embassy on The Strand, London. Certain individuals are conduction their own training programmes local to their homes.
Walk Route
Very much as 2017/18/19/20. Brighton Pier to Devil's Dyke. [see photo at top of Devil's Dyke and Flickr pages ] Dropping down to Henfield and the Downs Link. Then onto Christ's Hospital [Rail station photo above] just a short walk from the rendezvous location on the Downs Link. The long slog to Guildford [railway station meet], finally the night walk along the River Wey Navigation and, this year, into Hampton Court [Rail Station], London. This year the 21-22nd August was chosen due to there being a FULL MOON [and subject to a cloudless night sky] increase visibility during the night section next to the Rivers!
