Port actions target trade with Israel on 33rd week of continuous protest

The 33rd week of continuous protests against Israel's genocide in Gaza came the same week that the International Criminal Court prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas officials and the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to abandon its military offensive in Rafah.

The weekend began with a national day of action on May 25 at eight ports demanding trade sanctions and an arms embargo on Apartheid Israel.

Hundreds of people protested at Station Pier in Naarm/Melbourne in a show of solidarity for Palestine, reports Chloe DS.

Protesters rallied and marched against the ZIM shipping line (which boasts about it's support for the Israeli military) and for Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against apartheid Israel.

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), National Tertiary Education Industry Union (NTEU), the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and the United Workers Union (UWU) were among other unions supporting the action.

The rally expressed its solidarity with the Kanaks currently fighting against French colonialism and for their right to self-determination.

Aarin Moon from MUA told the crowd that the government has “failed on our international rights and failed on our collective consciousness”.

Moon asked the State government “to uphold the will of the rank and file and free Palestine today” and “to drop the charges against the union officials”.

Hundreds rallied against trade with Israel and, in particular, the ZIM shipping line in Magan-djin/Brisbane the same day.

After initially trying to refuse permission, the port authority backed down after the MUA announced publicly it intended to go ahead with its disciplined action, with or without, the port's permission.

The action's demands were: no trade with Apartheid Israel; that the government sanction Israel; and that charges be dropped on MUA officials and other protesters against the ZIM shipping line.

The protest was supported by MUA, the CFMEU, the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) and members of the Services Union, the Community and Public Sector Union and the National Tertiary Education Union among others.

Palestinian and Aboriginal flags were flown side by side.

Elliot D'Arcy from the RTBU summed up the feelings of many when he said that “we understand as trade unionists that this system does not work without our consent” and that workers need to take action against injustice.

If the government won't sanction Israel, he said, then “we'll create our own sanctions”. “We'll do that with picket lines and we'll do that with sit downs and we'll do that with stop works.”

Jade Ingham from the CFMEU told the rally that “days like today give us hope” and that “this is what working class solidarity looks like”.

Remah Naji from Justice For Palestine applauded unions for their solidarity statements with Palestine and added that “solidarity statements have an expiry date”. Now is the time for action and not just statements, she said.

She called for organising “the full strength of the labour movement to strike a blow against colonialism” and Israel's genocide.

More than 300 people rallied in Walyalup/Fremantle reports Alex Salmon.

Friends of Palestine WA and Unionists for Palestine demanded that shipping companies operating in all ports declare any trade or cargo with Apartheid Israel and that Labor impose an arms embargo and trade sanctions on Israel.

The action also called for charges to be dropped against MUA officials and activists who are pushing for a ceasefire and an end to the genocide in Gaza.

The protesters marched to the offices of MSC shipping, which subcontract to ZIM, where an activist die-in was held.

Speakers included representatives from the MUA, CFMEU, the Curtin Uni student encampment, and Greens candidate Sophie McNeil.

Activist photographer Danny Reardon posted that “the people at these rallies want peace. The issue has always been with occupation, human rights, the bombing of civilians and Zionism as an ideology.”

Anne McMenamin reported that 100 “very committed and noisy” people rallied in Kaurna Yerta/Adelaide. They marched down the main street of Port Adelaide and then back to the offices of MSC (as there is no ZIM shipping office in the city).

Niko Leka reported that 100 people rallied in Muloobinba/Newcastle where activists declared that campaigning for a free Palestine is union business.

Peter Boyle reports thousands rallied and marched in Gadigal Country/Sydney the following day.

Palestine Action Group Sydney activist Amal Naser told the crowd: “Our global movement has made Israel a pariah state”.

Israel has exceeded all limits in its genocide, he said, so the usually conservative International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice have been forced to act.

Shamikh Badra, a Palestinian activist shared a moving account of the terrible losses his and other Gazan families had suffered since October.

“[The Zionists] said there were no such things as Palestinians. They said we never existed. They said they must expel the Arabs and take their place; the old will die and the young will forget... But have they succeeded in achieving these colonial goals? No! They have failed... because Palestinians are still bravely fighting for independence and freedom.”

One day, he added, “Palestinians will establish a democratic state for all the population living from the River to the Sea”.

Thousands rallied on May 26 in Naarm/Melbourne as well.

Weekly protests have also been organised in Aotearoa/New Zealand as well. David Robie told the latest Green Left Show that there have been “massive demonstrations every week since the Israeli war began on Gaza”.

“It rarely gets covered [in the media] but there are thousands taking part all over New Zealand in 20-25 places each week.”

“This is unprecedented,” he said.