European and International Dockworkers Strike Over Arms Shipments

Port workers in several European countries and other regions staged a one-day strike, demanding an end to arms shipments to Israel through their facilities. Unions in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Morocco issued a joint call to halt what they termed the militarization of ports and demanded an end to the war in Gaza.

According to the labor organizations, workers at more than 100 ports joined the protest, which organizers warned could disrupt maritime traffic in Europe, the Mediterranean basin, and North America. In Greece, dockworkers struck at the port of Piraeus, the country's largest. Giorgos Gogos, head of the local port workers' union, stated that they refuse to let their ports become hubs for military equipment intended to kill people.

In Turkey, demonstrators gathered outside the Haydarpasa port in Istanbul, carrying banners rejecting war and armaments. Protests were also scheduled at key Italian ports, including Genoa, Trieste, and Gioia Tauro. Meanwhile, French port and dock workers' unions called for a 24-hour strike at major facilities such as Le Havre, Marseille, Dunkirk, and Rouen.

Despite the broad geographical scope, industry experts noted that the impact on global shipping remained limited. Marcus Baker, global head of marine, cargo, and logistics at Marsh, told the Associated Press that the brief strike is not expected to significantly disrupt global trade, though it could affect perishable goods and time-sensitive shipments.

Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, several nations have imposed restrictions on the transit of military supplies related to Israel. Spain previously declared it would block ships carrying weapons for Israel from docking in its ports, refusing entry to vessels such as the Marianne Danica. Additionally, US President Donald Trump stated in March that France had barred American military transport aircraft carrying supplies to Israel from using its airspace.