#RideToBringThemHome: tears and hope in a powerful show of solidarity
#RideToBringThemHome: A Global Display of Solidarity and Hope
In an extraordinary display of global solidarity, tens of thousands of cyclists around the world united today in a collective call to free the 136 hostages held in Gaza, 100 days after their capture in the 7 October attacks. The central event took place at the Tel Aviv Velodrome, where 136 cyclists, each with photos of one of the hostages, encircled the stadium in a powerful and emotional plea for their release.
The event, spearheaded by the professional cycling team Israel – Premier Tech, in collaboration with the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, saw solidarity for the hostages extend beyond borders. Mass cycling events unfolded simultaneously in at least 40 cities across the globe, with thousands more riders making their own solidarity rides by tying a yellow ribbon to their bikes.
Speaking on behalf of the hostage families, Hadas Kalderon said: “100 days of pain, anxiety, longing, disappointment, grief, and abandonment. 100 days, and the hostages are still in Gaza. 100 days of hell. Ofer Kalderon, unique and special, is still there in hell. I am here to remind – he is alive! Full of hope, waiting, expecting, relying on us to rescue him. I commit to you here and now, Ofer, as I am committed to your son Erez Kalderon that he would ride bicycles with this wonderful group, I also commit to you that we are here and we will not give up until you are back with us, wearing a helmet and riding again, including in the Tour de France.”
Sahar Kalderon, 16, who was released from Hamas captivity after 51 days along with her brother Erez Kalderon, said: “Now I am trying to rebuild my life, but how can I build anything and keep going when my father is missing, when he is still facing horrors? 100 days of terrible longing, thoughts that never stop entering my mind. I want my father back and all the hostages who are waiting to be rescued. They deserve to come back.”
Speaking to the event in a video message from Spain, team owner Sylvan Adams said: “We’ve just finished our ride in solidarity with our 136 hostages, marking their 100th day in captivity, which breaks our heart, thinking about their fate and worried about how they are holding up, physically and emotionally. We are thinking of you. I personally think about you every single day, about our hostages, about you, the families. In fact, I think about you almost every single hour. We have riders today from six continents, as far away as Hong Kong, Sydney, and Melbourne; in Buenos Aires, in São Paulo, in Miami and Los Angeles, in Capetown, in London, in Paris, here in Spain, of course, to demand that our hostages be freed. To demand that the Red Cross gain access to our people, and learn how they are coping, as well as to provide medical care to our 136 citizens that are cruelly being held in Gaza.”
Avida Bachar, who lost a leg in the 7 October attack when his wife and son were killed, and completed the route in a wheelchair, said: “This event warms the heart and provides hope for the future. To continue living, riding, to keep going – it’s inspiring.”
The gathering of solidarity and hope extended across the world, with thousands of individual riders taking to the streets and bike routes, uploading photos of their rides with the hashtag #RideToBringThemHomeNow. Large events were held in major cities around the world, underscoring the truly global nature of the initiative.
