Durban - As the Middle East woke to a ceasefire yesterday morning, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered across the water from an Israeli-owned vessel docked in Durban harbour to voice their disdain for Israel’s actions in the fighting this month.
The protest was prompted by the arrival of the Zim Shanghai in Durban. Word had it among the protesters that its cargo was labelled as “hazardous” and it was being offloaded.
The South African Trade and Allied Workers’ Union had announced that its members would refuse to offload the vessel in a show of sympathy for the Palestinian victims of Israeli airstrikes.
According to reports, the announcement came just days after similar action was taken by dockworkers in the Italian city of Livorno, who refused to load an arms shipment on a ship belonging to the same Israeli company, Zim Integrated Shipping.
Transnet said in a brief statement that it had contingency measures in place at the port, and that the vessel was “currently being attended to”.
Spokesperson Ayanda Shezi added: “Transnet SOC Ltd respects the right of individuals to peacefully assemble, demonstrate or present petitions”.
A host of organisations supported the protest, the most visible being the SA Federation of Trade Unions, the SA Students Congress (Sasco), People Against Oppression, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), Abahlali baseMjondolo and the SA Boycott, Divest, Sanction Middle East Coalition.
Addressing participants, Na’ eem Jeenah, executive director of the Middle-East Centre, called for the South African government to cut ties with Israel and for people to boycott South African companies linked to or doing business with Israel. Jeenah called on South Africa to support all Palestinian resistance and welcomed the ceasefire.
Abahlali baseMjondolo provincial spokesperson Thapelo Mohapi said the informal settlement residents’ movement “feels the same oppression of being evicted by the state”.
A legal battle over Israeli settlers’ claims to land in East Jerusalem triggered the recent trouble.
Sasco provincial chairperson Thabo Tsheme said his organisation was in solidarity with the people of Palestine because children there were deprived of education because they were not afforded equal rights.
“We have heard some don’t have any education at all, others only for four hours a week.”
The SDCEA’s Desmond D’Sa said South Africans had to help Palestinians by standing up like they had done to apartheid.
“We want to say to Israel, and especially Netanyahu supporters, that it will never be acceptable to take away people’s land.”
He called for Israel to face international justice for genocide.
Watching the start of the protest at a pier protruding into the harbour were a number of homeless people who live there, among them Gilbert Esterhuizen and Fazzil Williams, who did not know about the Middle East issues.
“We are on the streets, we do not hear news. But no one is worried about the homeless.”
One protester offered a jacket to a young homeless boy who had been dressed in only a black plastic refuse bag.
The Independent on Saturday