Labor organizations from Marseille to Mumbai have arranged a synchronized walkout of harbor facilities this week to prevent the shipment of arms and military matériel. A total of 111 ports in 22 countries will be affected by the action on Friday, with organizers from more than 25 unions demanding that no weapons cargo pass through their docks. The scale of the disruption varies by region; France’s main union predicts its ports will be 95% shut, while Italy, India, Greece, and Turkey face 24 hour stoppages.
The strike follows the Istanbul Declaration signed in May and targets escalating conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, specifically Israel’s military operations in Hebron and Gaza. While the primary focus is anti-war, participants are also striking for higher wages, shorter hours, and protections against automation. In the U.S., ILWU Local 10 will stop work in Oakland and San Francisco, while Italy’s USB union has expanded the protest into a call for a nationwide general strike, defying a government order for transport workers to remain on the job.
