Protestors block Israeli cargo ship in bay

For the second time this weekend, Bay Area protesters are gathering at the Port of Oakland to try to stop an Israeli-owned commercial ship from docking and unloading in an act of protest against recent Israeli military action in Gaza.

The ship, Piraeus, identified as a Zim Integrated Shipping Services vessel by the online ship tracking service Marine Traffic, was moored at the Port of Oakland area as of 5:30 p.m. this evening, according to the website.

The 964-foot ship reportedly rerouted Saturday afternoon as a large crowd of protesters marched to the Port of Oakland to block its arrival.

At Saturday afternoon’s protest, demonstrators carried signs with slogans such as “Gaza will be free,” “Boycott. Divest, Sanction. End Israeli Apartheid,” and “Resist Zionism and Imperialism.”

Zim is the largest Israeli cargo shipping company and according to Zim’s website, the company was established in 1945 and is one of the largest carriers in the global container shipping industry.

Protesters are singling out Zim ships because 32 percent of the company is owned by Israel Corporation, which was founded in 1968 by the Israeli government and is Israel’s largest holding company.

Zim’s remaining shares are owned by financial institutions and ship-owners, according to the company’s website.

In 2010, a similar protest against a Zim ship docking at the Port of Oakland was held by hundreds of demonstrators condemning Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Bay City News

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