Anti-Israel Protestors Disrupt Ports, Including Oakland, & International Supply Chains
Anti-Israel protests essentially shut down the Port of Oakland yesterday, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Such protests have taken aim at ports around the world, to varying degrees of disruption. The protests are much wider in scope than just taking aim at ports; however, Zim, a major and Israeli international cargo shipping company, has been a prime target of such protestors.
Bill Mongelluzzo reported on the situation at the Port of Oakland in a Journal of Commerce (JOC) article:
The Port of Oakland’s four container terminals were closed for Monday’s day shift as a precautionary move after demonstrators protesting the war in Gaza threatened to march into the port area.
Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT) — the port’s largest container facility — said it would remain closed for Monday’s evening shift as well. It was not immediately known if the other three terminals would follow suit and shut for the second shift.
In multiple coordinated demonstrations, protestors shut down lanes of the major freeway I-880 in Oakland as well as the southbound side of the Golden Gate Bridge, among other traffic disruption, on Monday morning. It took several hours to get freeway lanes reopened and 12 of the protestors were arrested, according to an MSN article by Dave Pehling.
Mongelluzzo gave more on the Port of Oakland disruption in his JOC article and included information about a similarly timed demonstration at the Ports of New York and New Jersey that were, thankfully, not so disruptive:
With threats coming from demonstrators late last week that they would also descend on the port Monday, OICT, TraPac, EverPort and Matson terminals did not open for the day shift, according to a port spokesperson.
…
On the East Coast, pro-Palestinian demonstrators conducted a drive-by caravan at the Port of New York and New Jersey in Elizabeth, NJ, but did not disrupt operations. The protestors, in a statement, said they were targeting in particular Israel-based carrier Zim Integrated Shipping Services and its CEO Eli Glickman.
Additional Anti-Israel Protests & Action Disrupting International Shipping
After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023 – killing over a 1,200 people, largely civilians, including babies and children; raping and mutilating women; and taking over 240 people hostage, with 100 believed to still be alive in captivity – many have chosen to side with these terrorists against Israel. Most notably for international shipping has been Iran-backed Houthi Rebels attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aiden with any, and often outdated, connection to Israel or her allies.
It’s not surprising Iran bankrolls the Houthi attacks. Iran also backed the Hamas attacks on Israel and often uses such proxies for its aggressions. The only real surprise with Iran is that in contrast with its cowardly proxy attacks on Israel and her allies, including U.S troops in the Middle East, it actually attacked Israel directly just days ago. Overall, the country’s actions have not only been politically tumultuous, giving the world more war and violence, but highly disruptive to international shipping.
Anti-Israel protestors, on the other hand, have created many small disruptions to international shipping with demonstrations strategically targeting ports and terminals, among other things. Such demonstrations are small compared to something like attacks on container ships trying to traverse the Suez Canal, but cumulatively they are growing in their impact. Here are several, but certainly not all, notable anti-Israel incidents that have negatively impacted shipping:
Nationwide Protests, United States:
- Date: April 15-16, 2024
- Event: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked roadways in Illinois, California, New York, and the Pacific Northwest.
- Impact: Major airports, including JFK and LAX, were temporarily shut down on top of the ocean port in Oakland that we already talked about. Bridges like the Golden Gate and Brooklyn were also affected.
Port Botany, Sydney, Australia
- Date: Ongoing
- Impact: Anti-Israel activists have disrupted operations at Port Botany, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Police have charged 23 protesters for their involvement in the demonstration.
- Source: ABC News
Metro Vancouver Container Port (Deltaport), Canada
- Date: April 15, 2024
- Impact: Anti-Israel protesters blocked access to the Deltaport terminal, causing disruptions to truckers attempting to reach the facility. The terminal operator, GCT Canada, expressed concern over safety and operational challenges.
- Source: CBC News
New York and Los Angeles Airports, United States
- Date: December 27, 2023
- Event: Anti-Israel protesters briefly blocked entrance roads to airports in New York and Los Angeles.
- Impact: Traffic was snarled, affecting holiday travel. Some travelers had to set off on foot to bypass the jammed roadways.
- Source: AP News.
Port of Oakland, United States
- Date: November 3, 2023
- Impact: Demonstrators demanding a Gaza ceasefire delayed a U.S. military supply ship departing from the Port of Oakland. They physically locked themselves to the vessel and disrupted operations.
- Source: MSN
Port of Tacoma, United States
- Date: November 6, 2023
- Impact: Hundreds of anti-Israel protesters swarmed the Port of Tacoma, aiming to block an Israel-bound ship. The entrance was effectively blocked, forcing drivers to turn around.
- Source: KOMO News
Other Global Protests
- Worldwide Coordination: Demonstrations are being coordinated globally, aiming to block major choke points in the global economy and create significant economic impact.
As tensions persist, these protests underscore the interconnectedness of global trade and geopolitical conflicts. Shippers know that ports, often overlooked, play a pivotal role in shaping economies, and protestors have obviously recognized they can become powerful platforms for demonstrations.
