Last week, on July 16, port workers in Piraeus, Greece blocked shipment of weapons grade steel in route to Israel for use in that nation’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
Workers and their union said in advance that they would not handle or load and unload the cargo. When it arrived, hundreds of dockworkers and activists staged protests that temporarily blocked the operation of cranes in the port and blocked roads leading into the port. As the protest went on, workers and supporters sang and chanted and lit flares in a passionate display of protest.
In a statement, the union said: “We will not unload a single inch of this murderous cargo. The dock workers of Piraeus will not be complicit. We will not unload steel from the Ever Golden (the ship carrying the goods) – no to Greece’s involvement – freedom for Palestine.”
While it is unclear whether the weapons grade steel has been moved since the protests, it seems that many workers and their unions in Europe are bubbling with anger at the Zionist barbarism against Palestinians. In June, dockworkers in Marseilles, France refused to load arms bound for Israel. Earlier this spring in Sweden the rank-and-file of the national dockworkers union voted by 68% to carry out a 6 day boycott of work on military cargo work to and from Israel. And now Greek port workers are continuing the pushback.
While none of these scattered acts alone will stop the ability of Israel to carry out its genocidal campaign, they are positive signs of more organized resistance. If these workers can build on these sentiments and begin to organize and then unite these scattered instances of fightback, the movement against the genocide may be able to grow and build strength.
We support the dockworkers of Piraeus and all the other port workers who are organizing against the destruction being inflicted on the Palestinian people.
