Arab Resource & Organizing Center

August 16, 2014

Let the world register that on 16, August 2014, we prevented the apartheid Zim liner for the second time from docking and unloading anywhere on the West Coast.

The Zim Pireaus arrived in Northern California by afternoon yesterday. It could have docked by early Saturday morning. We held the Zim off in place due to our readiness and mobilization at 5 AM. We showed up again at 3 PM to stop the scheduled work crews from unloading the ship. Our actions today have sent a clear message that genocide and apartheid does not pay in Oakland, or anywhere on the West Coast. Our action along with the 100’s of 1000’s of people who mobilized worldwide in solidarity with the resilient Palestinian people should send a clear and resounding message that the beginning of the end for the Zionist apartheid regime in Palestine is upon us. As South African apartheid fell, Zionist rule in Palestine and Israeli apartheid will fall.

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August 15, 2014

OUR ORGANIZING IS WORKING!!!!

SHIP IS DELAYED. COME TO WEST OAKLAND BART AT 3PM NOT 5AM!!

COME LOUDER AND STRONGER!!!

Block the Boat! Stop Israel at the Port of Oakland!

Zionism isn’t welcome on our Coast!

West Coast Blockade of the Israeli Zim Ship

Port of Oakland

Saturday, August 16th

5am

Meet at West Oakland Bart and march to Berth 57

Participants:Those planning to participate: subscribe to text-alerts and receive live updates about the 8/16 Block the Boat, text “join” to (510) 346-5951.

Livestream:

KPFA will be livestreaming the action at www.kpfa.org/kpfa-live-stream-channel

Also follow @BlocktheBoat for live tweets.

Volunteers and Support: Fill out form to volunteer with transportation assistance. Email info @ araborganizing.org to support with food donations. Contact AROC to pick up posters and postcards for outreach.

Donations: Donate here to help with event costs.

STOP THE SIEGE ON GAZA!

END THE COLONIAL OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE!

RIGHT OF RETURN FOR ALL PALESTINIAN REFUGEES!

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!

BOYCOTT, DIVEST, SANCTION!

Global Statements

– Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions – Gaza Strip

– Palestinian and South African Trade Unions

– Labor for Palestine

– Congress of South African Trade Unions

– National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa

– Transport Workers Solidarity Committee

– UNITE, British Trade Union

STOP THE SIEGE ON GAZA!

END THE COLONIAL OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE!

RIGHT OF RETURN FOR ALL PALESTINIAN REFUGEES!

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!

BOYCOTT, DIVEST, SANCTION!

What’s happening?

The world has watched in horror as Israel has continued to bombard and devastate Gaza. Millions around the globe have come out in support of the Palestinian people and against the Zionist regime, holding massive marches, demonstrations, and actions. Here in the Bay, San Francisco witnessed some of the biggest mobilizations in recent years, with a series of marches, each bringing out thousands of people. It’s time to step it up.

Call to Action

Palestine is calling us to action! Palestinians laborers, Palestinian General Federation Trade Union (PGFTU), have called on workers around the world to refuse to handle Israel goods. Palestinians throughout Gaza, the West Bank and 1948 Palestine have demonstrated their unity in the struggle against Apartheid Israel and have taken to the streets in the tens of thousands, bravely facing Israeli military armed with US made weapons to call on the international community to stand with them as they resist Zionism throughout all of historic Palestine. We will be answering this call by organizing community pickets at the Port of Oakland, asking the longshoreman to honor this request and to stand with the people of Palestine as they have done in the past.

Historical Background

During apartheid in South Africa, ILWU workers made history when they refused to unload South African cargo in San Francisco in 1984. This action was a major catalyst for international anti-apartheid solidarity and struggle worldwide. In 2010, after a Turkish flotilla, the Mavi Marmara, was attacked by Israel for attempting to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, we built on ILWU’s history and successfully blocked the Israeli Zim ship from being unloaded at the Port of Oakland – the first time in US history an Israeli ship was blocked. We will be continuing this legacy by organizing to block the Israeli ship once again. And just as apartheid fell in South Africa, so too it will fall in Israel!

Sustained BDS in the Bay

If there is one thing that the latest Israeli attacks show, it’s the power of Palestinian resilience. The resistance in Gaza is still alive and thriving, despite Israel’s ongoing attempts to destroy it. But we should always remember that the Palestinian resistance did not begin with Israel’s latest bombardment, nor did it begin during the last bombardment. It has been going on since 1948, since Israel came into existence. And it will not cease until Israeli apartheid falls.

We refuse to allow Israel to conduct its business as usual, here in the Bay and everywhere!

Every Saturday, the Israeli owned Zim shipping line docks and unloads its cargo at the Port of Oakland. Let this action be the beginning of a sustained campaign to stop the Israeli ship from ever unloading in our town.

From Seattle to Oakland to Los Angeles – turn the Israeli ship around!

We encourage all of our allies on the West Coast to join us in ensuring that Zim ships are not welcome anywhere.

Long Beach:
https://www.facebook.com/events/435461866594072/

Tacoma and Seattle:
https://www.facebook.com/events/678819478876975/

New York:
https://www.facebook.com/events/429725363832321/

Not in Palestine

Not in the Bay

Not Anywhere

Stand Against Zionism Everywhere

Endorsed by:

AF3IRM
Al-Awda New York
All African People’s Revolutionary Party (AAPRP)
American Friends Service Committee
American Muslims for Palestine
ANSWER Coalition
Arab Youth Organizing (AYO)
AROC: Arab Resource & Organizing Center
ASATA: Alliance of South Asians Taking Action
Bay Area Women in Black
BAYAN-USA
Bay Area CodePink
Bay Area Latin America Solidarity Coalition
Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Social Justice Committee
Black Organizing Project (BOP)
Black Organizing Leadership and Dignity (BOLD)
Black Workers For Justice
B.U.W (BLOOK UNITY WORKERS ): PALISTINIAN INDEPANDENCE TRADEUNION ORGENIZATION IN WESTBANK AND GAZZA AND JEROZALIM
Catalyst Project
CodePink Washington
Committee for Open Discussion of Zionism (CODZ)
Communist Party of San Francisco
Critical Resistance – LA
Critical Resistance – Oakland
Critical Resistance – Portland
Descoloniza a Oakland/Decolonize Oakland
Free Palestine Movement
Freedom Archives
Friends of Deir Ibzi’a
Fuerza Mundial/Pueblos en Movimiento
General Union of Palestine Students – SFSU
Global Women’s Strike
Gray Panthers of San Francisco
Green Party of Alameda County
Haiti Action Committee
International Action Center
International Jewish Anti Zionist Network
International Solidarity Movement – West Bank/Gaza
International Socialist Organization
International Tribunal of Conscience for Camilo
ISM-Nor Cal
IWW Bay Area Branch
Jewish Against Genocide
Jews for Palestinian Right of Return
Justice for Palestinians
La Voz de l@s trabajadores/Worker’s Voice
Labor for Palestine
Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace
Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Marcha Patriotica (Colombia) – California chapter
Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)
Movement Generation
National Lawyers Guild SFBA Chapter
Noam Chomsky
NorCal Friends of Sabeel
Occupy SF Action Council
ONYX Organizing Committee
The Palestine-Israel Action Committee
Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions
Palestinian Youth Movement
Queers Undermining Israeli Terror
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
San Francisco Green Party
School of the Americas Watch East Bay
Socialist Alternative – Bay Area Branch
Socialist Organizer
SOUL: School of Unity and Liberation
Southern Anti-Racism Network
Stanford Students for Justice
Students for Justice in Palestine – Cal
Totally Radical Muslims
UAW Local 2865 (Academic Student Workers at the University of California)
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott
US Palestinian Community Network
Veterans For Peace Chapter 69
World Can’t Wait Bay Area
Workers World Party
Xicana Moratorium

info@araborganizing.org

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