Ship targeted by protesters makes U-turn, heads back to Oakland

Demonstrators scrambled to shore up their forces at the Port of Oakland Tuesday night after a cargo ship they had blocked from unloading as a protest against Israel's military actions in Gaza set sail for Los Angeles then abruptly made a U-turn and headed back to Oakland.

Despite the protesters' efforts, longshore workers began unloading the vessel late Tuesday.

Pro-Palestinian activists who had protested the presence of the ship Piraeus since Saturday put out urgent mobilization calls for demonstrators to head to the waterfront. Those calls came after online tracking databases showed the vessel heading under the Bay Bridge and back toward Oakland shortly after 6 p.m.

Just three hours earlier, the Piraeus had left port with a reported destination of Los Angeles. It sailed through the Golden Gate and into the Pacific, then turned around and headed back to a new berth in Oakland.

Protesters, some of whom never believed that the ship would head south, scrambled to meet the ship. About 30 marched slowly in a circle off Maritime Street, blocking the entrance to the port as longshore workers looked on from across the street.

Chants of "Free, free Palestine" rang out as Alameda County sheriff's deputies, who clearly outnumbered protesters, watched from a distance.

Kate Rafael, a 55-year-old word processor from Oakland who has been protesting each day, said she believed the U-turn was proof that the demonstrations were having their desired effect. "It really makes them look desperate," she said. "There are blockades going on all over the world, from Seattle to Spain. They're not going to be able to hide much longer."

The ship had maneuvered away from the port hours after Israel's consul general in San Francisco said it would "eventually leave" if longshore workers continued to refuse to unload it.

Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and signs as they march to berth 57 at the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014. Hundreds of people from across the Bay Area protested Israel's latest attack on Gaza and its ongoing occupation of Palestine. less Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and signs as they march to berth 57 at the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014. Hundreds of people from across the Bay Area protested Israel's ... more Photo: RAY CHAVEZ, MBI / Associated Press Photo: RAY CHAVEZ, MBI / Associated Press Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Ship targeted by protesters makes U-turn, heads back to Oakland 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

The Piraeus, which is managed by Israel's largest shipping firm, doesn't travel to Israel and instead navigates between the United States, the Caribbean and Asia, said Andy David, consul general to the Pacific Northwest.

The protesters, organized under the motto "Block the Boat," first converged at the International Container Terminal Saturday, a day before the Piraeus arrived at the port.

Longshore workers responsible for unloading the vessel refused to do so, not because they are taking sides in the fight between Israel and Hamas, but because they would not work "under armed police escort - not with our experience with the police in this community," said Melvin MacKay, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10.

On Tuesday night, however, because there was no "safety issue," longshore workers reported for work and were unloading the ship, even as protesters continued to block the entrance, said union spokeswoman Jennifer Sargent.

Union officials said longshore workers have been concerned about port safety during demonstrations since several people protesting the Iraq War were injured in a 2003 port rally. Oakland police fired nonlethal projectiles, including wood bullets and bean bags, without provocation and without allowing protesters a chance to disperse.

Protests over the Piraeus have been peaceful.

The Piraeus is managed by Israel's largest shipping firm, Zim Integrated Shipping Services. David said Zim is 32 percent owned by Israeli shareholders, and that the rest is owned by various international interests, including banks and other shipping companies.

David said protesters "chose a symbol, perhaps, and they're trying to portray it as hurting the Israeli government, but they're really causing damage to the people who live here, and to me this is exactly the definition of political terrorism."