An Israeli-owned ship that had been prevented for days from
unloading its cargo by protesters at the Port of Oakland was finally unloaded Aug.
20, according to the International Longshore & Warehouse Union.
Work on the Zim Piraeus was completed by about 4
a.m. following days of protests that began the afternoon of Aug. 16. The ship,
which is owned by the Israeli shipping company Zim Integrated Shipping Services,
docked at the port the evening of Aug. 17, but dockworkers would not cross picket
lines outside the gates and refused to unload the ship, citing safety concerns.
On the night of Aug. 19, the ship left Oakland en route to
Los Angeles, but a few hours later it returned and moored at a different
terminal.
Longshore workers reported there, began unloading the ship
around 10 pm and finished up about six hours later.
The organizers have said the protest was conducted in
solidarity with Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip who are directly affected
by a recent wave of violence in the region.
Similar protests were conducted at the port earlier this
month and protesters in Long Beach and Seattle say they had planned similar
actions targeting other Zim-owned ships this week.
