California Protesters Block Military Ship From Leaving for Israel

Protesters on Friday attempted to stop a military ship from leaving the Port of Oakland in California. The vessel is reportedly set to depart for Israel with supplies.

The Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), which organized the protest, told local news outlets that as many as 1,000 people participated in the demonstration against U.S. military support for Israel.

President Joe Biden has vowed American support for Israel after the country was unexpectedly attacked on October 7 by Hamas, a militant Palestinian group that controls Gaza and is backed by Iran. That assault left more than 1,400 dead, according to the Associated Press.

Israel subsequently declared "war" on Hamas and launched a heavy bombardment of Gaza, while simultaneously cutting off fuel, food and electricity to the densely populated area. As of Friday, more than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed, the AP reported.

Footage on social media showed protesters at the Port of Oakland chanting messages in support of Palestinians and calling for Israel to withdraw from Gaza. Some people were seen climbing onto the container carrier Cape Orlando, while others locked themselves to the ship.

Video on X (formerly Twitter) also showed a clash between protesters and police officers becoming physical.

When reached for comment, an Oakland Police Department (OPD) spokesperson said the department "is monitoring active demonstrations at the Port of Oakland."

"OPD is collaborating with the United States Coast Guard and the Port of Oakland to ensure the demonstrations remain peaceful," the OPD told Newsweek. "No arrests have been made by at this time."

"Oakland says no to military aid to Israel! We call on workers around the world to stand against genocide! Ceasefire now!" a Friday post on the X (formerly Twitter) account for the AROC said.

Newsweek reached out to the AROC via email for comment.

According to the AROC, the Cape Orlando is scheduled to make its way to Tacoma, Washington, where it will allegedly pick up weapons and military equipment to then bring to Israel. Newsweek was unable to verify this information.

A clip posted on the AROC's X account showed an unidentified man with a megaphone making some of these claims about the vessel.

"This is a military cargo. This ship is holding and carrying weapons that would most definitely be used to continue to murder our brothers and sisters in Palestine and elsewhere," the man said.

A reporter from KGO-TV, a local ABC affiliate, spoke with AROC executive director Lara Kiswani about the protest.

"We're hoping that when it reaches Tacoma, the workers in Tacoma will not load that military cargo, that people of Tacoma will show up to protest this genocide and that workers around the world will continue to stop ships like this anywhere they may be found," Kiswani said.

She added: "We are simply trying to call for an immediate cease-fire and stop the aiding of the genocide of my people."

Update 11/03/23 5:17 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more information.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.