Hundreds of activists from the Big Ride for Palestine group cycled on Friday across northern and central England to raise awareness of the Palestinian cause and the suffering of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.

The group said the march was held in several cities, including Derby, Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester.

Photos and videos published by the group on Twitter showed participants cycling in groups and waving flags of Palestine and chanting slogans in support of the Palestinian people and calling for the end of the Israeli apartheid regime.

The group said cyclists came from all over the UK and from other countries to express their solidarity with the people of Palestine and speak out against the injustice practiced by the Israeli occupation.

The Big Ride for Palestine is an initiative by supporters of the Palestinian people that combines a love of cycling with practical solidarity and awareness raising.

The initiative says its members want to bring attention to the human rights abuses endured by the Palestinian people, the brutal military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel’s continued violation of international law.