Iconic London protester's latest act of resistance: Advocating for Palestine with coffin

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) – A 66-year-old man from London has taken his activism to a new level by participating in protests with a wheeled coffin in a dramatic and poignant display of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Wojtek Dmochowski, who was born in Ealing, the heart of London's Polish community, has become a symbol of resistance against Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip.

Dmochowski, like many passionate Londoners, has been a familiar face at protests in the capital, advocating for causes from anti-racism to environmental issues.

But since Oct. 7, when Palestinian resistance group Hamas attacked southern Israel, he decided to draw attention to the ongoing plight of the Palestinian people with a wheeled coffin that serves as a powerful symbol that represents lives lost and the suffering endured by Gazans due to Israeli attacks.

The British Polish activist's unique protest has garnered significant attention, with crowds at demonstrations taking notice of the striking visual element he brings to the cause.

The wheeled coffin "is a stunning visual image of what is actually happening," he said.

- Riding since 2015 to help children, people in Gaza

"We're calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, right, because the thousands and thousands of Palestinians are being murdered by the Israelis, either bombing or coming in with tanks. I've been out every Saturday cycling throughout the city since Oct. 7," he said.

"The problem is that the Israelis have talked about a two-state solution for decades, but they continually stealing Palestinian land from their homes and the viability of a two-state solution is rapidly decreasing, and the Israelis know that, and the more honest Israelis will say they don't want the two-state solution," he said. "They really want to ethnically cleanse Palestine and have it all under Israeli control."

Dmochowski said he is a member of the Big Ride for Palestine – an initiative by cycling enthusiasts to support Palestinians.

"We have been riding since 2015 to raise awareness and money to help children and people in Gaza," he said.

"I've got three tragedies. The first tragedy was the Warsaw ghetto genocide in 1943, and 80 years on from that we had the Gaza ghetto genocide – another genocide now in 2023," he explained.

"The third tragedy is that we had Israel now persecuting and murdering Palestinians in a ghetto where there is no water, no sanitation, no food, no medical supplies. And it's exactly the same scenario as the Warsaw ghetto was 18 years ago. Zionists have forced that situation to come about," he argued.

Dmochowski said he gets positive reactions from Londoners. "Because the people in this country want to see a lasting peace. The government, of course – it sides with the Americans and they will support the Israeli state because Britain supplies arms."

"My parents and grandparents were refugees during World War II. And so, London is a very cosmopolitan city, the most cosmopolitan city in the world, which is wonderful. And we all live in harmony, which is exactly what should be happening in the Middle East and it also happened actually under the Ottoman Empire, where Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in harmony," he said.

While some may view Dmochowski's method as unconventional, it undeniably underscores the deep-rooted concern and empathy shared by individuals from diverse backgrounds in London. The city's multicultural community continues to unite in its collective pursuit of justice and human rights.

As the wheeled coffin rolls through the streets of London, it serves as a somber reminder that the quest for peace requires the collective effort of individuals willing to go to great lengths to advocate for those who are voiceless.

At least 18,800 Palestinians have been killed and 51,000 injured in the Israeli attacks in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Gaza's health authorities.

The figure rises as there seems to be no attempt to declare a cease-fire.