Speaking to the Birn, a Hellenic Coast Guard spokesperson said, “The vehicle [carrying the cartridges] was transferred to the Port Authority of Keratsini, which is conducting a preliminary investigation.”
The action by the Pireaus port workers demonstrates that it is only the coordinated action of workers around the world that can prevent Israel—backed by all the main imperialist powers—from perpetrating their systemised massacre of the Palestinians. In June, EDENEP members at Piraeus prevented another vessel, MSC Altair, from approaching the port after establishing that it was transporting military materiel to Israel.
Workers in Greece have also acted to ensure arms were not transported to fuel NATO’s war on Russia in Ukraine. In April 2022, dock workers in Thessaloniki refused to load NATO equipment for onwards transit to Ukraine.
Such action by trade unions was demanded by the Palestinian unions at the outset of Israel’s invasion over a year ago, but apart from a small number of actions—mainly organised by workers themselves, including by dockworkers in Barcelona in November 2023—the union bureaucracy internationally has refused to lift a finger to stop the transportation of weapons and materiel for Israel’s war machine.
The Greek dockworkers’ courageous and principled stand reveals the growing radicalisation of the working class, as Israel’s murderous assault intensifies.
Further actions impeding the war in Gaza must be organised by workers throughout Europe and internationally, above the heads of the union apparatus. Given the organisational strength of the KKE within the Greek ports, and the position enjoyed by the unions in Europe’s most important ports, far more action could have been organised that would have dealt a massive blow to Israel’s genocide.
This month, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) noted, “In the past decade Israel has greatly increased its imports of arms. SIPRI estimates that in the five-year period 2019–23, Israel was the world’s 15th largest importer of major arms, accounting for 2.1 percent of global arms imports in the period. In 2009–13 it ranked only 47th.”
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Publish date : 2024-10-20 10:26:00
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