Photo courtesy Big Ride for Palestine
Big Ride for Palestine
Big Ride for Palestine in Downtown Milwaukee during their first ride.
Milwaukeeans have taken to the streets donning kuffiyehs and flying Palestinian flags this year by way of The Big Ride for Palestine, a recurring bike ride in solidarity with paracycling team Gaza Sunbirds, who distribute humanitarian aid across Gaza. Organized by Eric Kleppe-Montenegro, the rides give folks an opportunity to show support for Palestinians while enjoying a safe, smooth excursion across the city. Part of a global network of other athletic Palestinian solidarity events, there have been three Big Rides for Palestine in Milwaukee so far.
The Big Ride for Palestine welcomes all cycling skill levels and is a slow ride in order to be as safe, accessible and family-friendly as possible. Upon designating a meeting spot, typically a public park, the ride rolls out about half an hour after meetup, giving participants time to socialize and decorate their bikes before heading out.
A lifelong cyclist, Eric Kleppe-Montenegro had been seeing folks online organizing Palestine solidarity bike rides all over the world, and he wanted to bring something of that nature to Milwaukee.
Across the Cycling World
Photo courtesy Big Ride for Palestine
Big Ride for Palestine organizers
Big Ride for Palestine organizers Sawsan Riz, Eric Kleppe-Montenegro and Nicholas Sinthasomphone
“They were doing it in the UK, in Japan, and near us in Minnesota,” Kleppe-Montenegro recalls. “It’s not only the cycling world that was activated in this moment, but a whole sphere of popular sports and athleticism extending this kind of solidarity. I felt like this should be happening here.”
After having a virtual meeting with a member of Gaza Sunbirds, Kleppe-Montenegro and comrades organized the first Big Ride for Palestine in March. “There was a global call to action, and we got the thumbs up from them,” he affirms.
The first ride drew nearly 60 people. Organizer Sawsan Rizeq connected with Kleppe-Montenegro through Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez, who asked the group Milwaukee 4 Palestine if they had someone who would like to speak at the first ride.
“I loved that idea,” Rizeq adds. “We’d been protesting in different ways, and what’s amazing about organizing is how everyone has a skill or talent to bring to the table. When I found out Eric was doing this, I was on board.”
Avenue for Awareness
She notes that many activists and organizers for Palestine enthusiastically wanted to buy or rent a bike specifically for these rides. “It was just a different avenue to bring more awareness to Palestine. I welcome any form of peaceful protesting.”
Kleppe-Montenegro contends that it is an opportunity to get new riders on the streets as well. “There’s obviously a million reasons to get more people on bikes, but it’s always an exciting opportunity when you’re able to promote cycling in this way, putting out a message of solidarity with Palestine.”
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Visibility Over Distance
With The Big Ride for Palestine, visibility is priority over distance. The first two rides had been roughly eight miles; the third one was a bit shorter. It is a “no-drop” ride, meaning no one is left behind. Security marshals and a car caravan accompany each ride to ensure the safety of cyclists and other roadway users.
“One thing that I love about it is this group of people operating together have for the most part ridden together a bunch of times, and some of us are people who have done bike security at Palestine marches,” Kleppe-Montenegro explains. “We have this rapport with each other that makes it possible to pull things like this off.”
As alluded to earlier, the rides also give a platform to Palestinian voices, featuring speakers of the Milwaukee community. “It gives us a chance to tell people who have never heard of our events what Milwaukee 4 Palestine is about, and what we’re fighting for,” Rizeq shares. “The Palestinian issue is not going to be swept under the rug. There are pockets of our community that are growing all around the world, that see now the dehumanization of generations, and what’s helping that is education.”
Good Turnout
Organizations that have sponsored The Big Ride for Palestine include Milwaukee 4 Palestine, UMMA (Uniting Milwaukee Muslims for Action), Party for Socialism and Liberation - Milwaukee, Red Bike & Green Milwaukee, and Healthcare Workers for Palestine Milwaukee.
While The Big Ride for Palestine does not directly fundraise for Gaza Sunbirds, they promote existing fundraisers being organized by the paracycling team. Follow Gaza Sunbirds on Instagram for more information.
“I’ve been so happy with the turnout with the rides,” Kleppe-Montenegro attests. “At the last ride, there were a few people who I shouted out when I saw them because I realized they had attended all three. Stuff like that is really dope to me, when you see people who are in it for the long haul.”
Rizeq mentions, “I’ve seen new faces every time.”
Kleppe-Montenegro prints out and distributes buttons at the rides as well. In terms of future events, folks of The Big Ride for Palestine plan to continue organizing rides in 2025 and build more relationships with local organizations.
Additionally, Milwaukee 4 Palestine recently launched a divestment campaign against Derco Aerospace, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin based in Milwaukee that repairs Israel’s F-16 fighter jets. The group is having recurring demonstrations outside the building, calling for an end to war profiteering and halting distribution of the plane engines among other demands.
“Who knows what we’ll be able to do in terms of solidarity in the future,” Kleppe-Montenegro concludes. “Resistance continues until liberation.”
Follow Eric Kleppe-Montenegro and Milwaukee 4 Palestine on Instagram for local Big Ride For Palestine updates.
