Protesters in California Block US Military Supply Ship to Israel (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Demonstrators demanding an end to the Israeli war in Gaza delayed a US military supply vessel for several hours on Friday.
Protesters made an attempt to prevent a military ship from departing the Port of Oakland in California, destined for occupied Palestine with supplies.
The Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), which organized the demonstration, informed local news outlets that around 1,000 people participated in the protest against US military support for the Israeli regime.
President Joe Biden pledged American support for Israel after the entity faced an unexpected attack on October 7 by Palestinian resistance groups. This attack was in response to the regime's escalated actions against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, al-Quds, and the reported abuse of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
Following this, Israel initiated an extensive bombardment of Gaza and simultaneously cut off fuel, food, and electricity to the densely populated area.
As of Friday, more than 9,227 Palestinians have been reported killed according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Video footage circulating on social media depicted protesters at the Port of Oakland chanting messages in support of Palestinians and urging Israel to withdraw from Gaza. Some individuals were observed climbing onto the container carrier Cape Orlando, while others secured themselves to the ship.
Video on X (formerly Twitter) also showed physical altercations between protesters and police officers.
A post on the X account for AROC on Friday read, "Oakland says no to military aid to Israel! We call on workers around the world to stand against genocide! Ceasefire now!"
According to the AROC, the Cape Orlando is scheduled to travel to Tacoma, Washington, where it will purportedly collect weapons and military equipment to transport to Israel.
A video posted on AROC's X account showed an unidentified man using a megaphone to make 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.
Lara Kiswani, the executive director of AROC, was interviewed by a reporter from KGO-TV, a local ABC affiliate. She stated, "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. We are simply trying to call for an immediate cease-fire and stop the aiding of the genocide of my people."
