Days of Palestine, Oakland –Anti-Israeli activists blocked on Saturday morning an Israeli cargo ship from stevedoring at the Port of Oakland.
As part of the Stop Zim Action Committee, about 200 demonstrators picketed outside several of the port’s gates on Saturday morning.
Safety concerns posed by the existence of protesters, in addition to about 50 police officers, undermined unloading the Israeli ship, Zim Shanghai, by longshore workers.
The Zim Shanghai is managed by the Israeli largest shipping firm, Zim Integrated Shipping Services.
Activists called on each other via social media. They created a Facebook group and posted: “Please, come to a sustained community and labour activist picket beginning on September 27th to stop the Zim Shanghai from unloading or loading any cargo.”
They said they would remain picketing “from when it arrives in Oakland until it leaves.”
About the message of their action, they wrote: “This will also send a message to stevedoring companies such as Stevedore Services of America (SSA) who are pushing for concessions right now against longshore workers who are working without a contract.”
Activist Madrone Mofeeta, who took part in the action, described it on Facebook: “Great job to everyone who showed up this morning and this afternoon. It was a victory today, as the Zim Ship sits in the port of Oakland fully loaded with containers. Not a crane moved all day.”
She also called for activist to attend the protest on Sunday. “The pickets tonight were successful,” she wrote on her Facebook. “We urgently need people to come for the Sunday (morning) shift at 5am. Gather at W.Oakland BART. Please bring your friends.”
In spite of the bad weather and heavy rain, activists prevented in the weekend an Israeli ship from unloading its cargo at the Port of Tampa Bay in Florida.
That ship was also owned by the Israeli shipping company ZIM, and the act was part of a wider solidarity campaign to prevent Israeli ships from loading and unloading their cargo at American ports.
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