“Kiswani said the action was meant to generate momentum for a broader campaign calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions against the Israeli government as a response to violence in Gaza.” Never mind that Hamas is wholly and solely responsible for putting civilians in harm’s way in Gaza. These Leftist Useful idiots will pursue their Nazi goal regardless of the facts.
“Israeli ship remains at sea as thousands of protesters gather in Oakland,” by Rebecca Bowe, the Guardian, August 17, 2014:
An Israeli ship that was scheduled to dock at the port of Oakland in California on Saturday remained at sea as between 2,000 and 3,000 pro-Palestinian activists streamed towards the port entrance, chanting and waving flags.
The protesters intended to form a picket line to prevent work crews from unloading the ship.
Activists had originally planned to meet at 5am for a blockade of the Zim Integrated Shipping Services vessel, but word that its arrival had been delayed prompted organisers to push the protest back until later in the afternoon.
The event began with a brief rally at a nearby transit station, followed by a march to the port. Sameh Ayesh, a 21-year-old Palestinian activist with the San Francisco-based Arab Youth Organisation, led the crowd in a chant.
“We’re gonna block the boat,” he called into a megaphone. “Block, block the boat.”
But before the march had even reached the port entrance, an activist who identified himself as Eyad delivered word that the Zim vessel would not be docking that day. An online ship tracking service showed that the vessel was off the coast of California, closer to Santa Cruz, as the march got under way.
Activists interpreted the delay as a victory since the schedule change seemed to have been made in response to the planned pickets. “We have stopped the Zim Piraeus from docking on the west coast of the United States,” said Eyad, of the Arab Resource and Organising Center (Aroc), into a megaphone, drawing cheers from the crowd as the march came to a halt on a bridge leading towards the docks.
“Zim Lines is the largest Israeli shipping company, and it’s a huge flow of capital for the state of Israel,” said Lara Kiswani, executive director of the centre, whose organisation was one of 70 to take part in planning the blockade.
Kiswani said the action was meant to generate momentum for a broader campaign calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions against the Israeli government as a response to violence in Gaza. “With the recent attacks on Palestine … there’s been a lot of discussion locally, particularly with Aroc, on how to escalate our tactics,” she said.
A similar blockade against a Zim vessel took place in 2010, when pro-Palestinian activists formed picket lines in response to Israel’s attack on a flotilla ferrying humanitarian outreach workers to Gaza. “After the flotilla was attacked by the state of Israel, we successfully were able to block the Zim Lines ship here, with the ILWU,” Kiswani said. “So for years we were working with ILWU, with rank and file, and with the leadership, to try and raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians.” In 1984, she added, “ILWU took a position against apartheid, and the workers refused to unload that ship”.
As the march reached the port entrance, where activists had originally planned to stage a picket, they encountered a line of police officers standing in formation. Protesters erupted into chants of, “hands up, don’t shoot!” – echoing chants sounded in response to police violence directed against street protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, in the wake of the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown….
Jay Boo says
Where is their outrage at the “We are being butchered under the banner of no god but Allah” slaughter in Iraq?
Why aren’t they protesting at CAIR headquarters?
Not enough liberal hypocrite Muslim Kiss-Ass brownie points.
Abbot and Costello meet Mohammed says
Where is the outrage? That doesn’t fit the Narrative, Boo, you should know that by now. Israelis are viewed as ‘white westerners’, and as you know, only WHItes can be seen as ‘oppressors’! Palestinians and ISIS jihadists are viewed as ‘brown 3rd worlders’, and as you know nobody in THAT category can ever be anything but ‘oppressed’. ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Shabab, Al Queda and all the rest of those ‘Islamic Freedom Fighter’ groups are all fighting Western oppression in the left’s eyes.
Sweetness says
This is embarrassing for the Bay. Hey, are you Bay-Areans or Californians or Americans? Palestine, like The Levant, like the Bay Area are all regional names for a general territory. Ludicrous leftist champions of the “Palestinian cause”. Yea right. How many refugee camps are in Israel imprisoning Mediteranian Sea-Areans? Right. Zero –what about the illegal immigrants? Where are they? Anyone? —
How many Fakestonian refugee prison camps are there in Gaza? 8. How many in the disputed territories of Judea? 19. Syria 10-13, Lebanon 10, Jordan 10… I’m sensing a pattern here.
IS just killed 700 and captutured 3,000. Books Bad just killed 1000 and kidnapped at least 97 more. Genocide? Slaughter? Selective rage? Sheesh.
There is no such animal as a “Pro-Palestinian” obviously. There are, however, plenty of Anti-Jews. And they are all lying hypocrites.
WVinMN says
“This is embarrassing for the Bay.”
Not possible. The Oakland/San Francisco area went left of embarrassment several decades ago.
“Hey, are you Bay-Areans or Californians or Americans?”
I haven’t considered them (and roughly have of the population of this country) American citizens for some time. They are communist thugs, pure and simple.
gravenimage says
Not all of us, WVinMN. I live in Oakland—don’t write off everyone in the region.
But yes—all too many are just as you describe.
Ashley says
Graven…I now live on Martha’s Vineyard, and am having a very difficult month. Thus my constant “Meanwhile” posts…
To make matters worse, my job entails contact with “the powers that be” to make sure the First Family’s vacation goes smoothly. My duties really aren’t really of a sensitive nature…but they are stressful and allow for zero margin for error.
I am looking forward to August 24 when the nightmare commences…
There are people here on the island who “get it”, just as there are folks in Oakland that “get it.”
Sadly, I don’t see the day when the Vineyard invites Mr. Spencer to speak…
Prinz Eugen says
What are the chances that the “protests” are being aided and funded with the good wishes of the anti-Semites of our islamo-marxist regime in DC? Anyone believe khalifa Barak will speak out against the “protesters”? After all, they are carrying out his anti-US and ANTI-jEWISH POLICIES!
Will the GOP ever come out of its stupor? They have essentially thrown in the towel — and Barry will add the fan belt and wear it with “pride” for his crusaders of islam!
Appalled By The World says
Why don’t these idiots get on a ship and head to Gaza to fight alongside their “oppressed” buddies? At least then they could feel great about doing something meaningful in their diseased minds, like killing some of those “Zionazis” as they call the Israelis. Nah-that would mean facing danger and giving up their cushy lives so they will never put their asses on the line. It’s much better to lecture those evil Jews on how bad they are halfway around the world in defending themselves against unprovoked rocket attacks-something they never have to face in California.
WVinMN says
The sick reality is that I’d wager 25% of this crowd is Jewish.
paddy says
I see your point and to some extent I agree. But then I remember the young deluded, psychotic even, muslim boys and girls departing from our UK shores to join those ISIS nuts….and conclude that the Oakland protestors must be reasonably sane. Deluded but sane.
SpiritOf1683 says
Let those Muslim boys and ngirls leave the UK for ISIS-land. Hopefully they’ll never come back. The Peshmerga will be waiting to give them a lead breakfast.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
It should go without saying that the Bay Area rivals London in the contest to be at the top of the Confused Polity list. The state is broke, but they feel oh so good. Piety trumps sobriety. Pomposity wins out over prudence. So here we see several hundred horse’s asses carrying placards demanding the victory of savagery over civilization.
The reaction to the great drought in California is to present it as proof of global warming. But multiyear droughts have happened there for millenia, the geologic record proves that. What’s changed is that the region is now overrun with delusional pomps who have not let a single reservoir be built along the western slope of the Sierra Madre to catch and store water from annual snow melt… even as the population there has doubled and agricultural production in the Central Valley has grown.
***
Makes sense. If worse comes to worse, they can move out and leave the mess to the millions of “Hispanics” who’ve been allowed to enter illegally to receive taxpayer-funded wealth transfers. But, when everybody but them is gone, who will take care of them? “Hispanic” is as fake a concept as “Palestinian”; both fake races are in business to swipe other people’s money. And land, of course.
I think Bibi has finally woken up to that. But there is no way in hell Jerry Brown could do that.
Beagle says
The reaction to the great drought in California is to present it as proof of global warming. But multiyear droughts have happened there for millenia, the geologic record proves that. What’s changed is that the region is now overrun with delusional pomps who have not let a single reservoir be built along the western slope of the Sierra Madre to catch and store water from annual snow melt… even as the population there has doubled and agricultural production in the Central Valley has grown.
—- —- —–
Quoted at length for “delusional pomps” in particular.
It’s a desert, not a rainforest! Though, long before coal plants or SUVs, there were smilodon, giant sloths, dire wolves, and American lions, some preying on our ancestors, in a much wetter climate.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Quoted at length for “delusional pomps” in particular. It’s a desert, not a rainforest!
Yeah, we covered that in 8th grade geography. When irrigated with water captured from snow melt runoff, the Central Valley is the most productive agricultural region on earth. After 40 years of domination by the greens in Sacramento, the Valley is salinizing and over the next few years producers, who have already severely cut back operations, will begin shutting down. Meanwhile, the greens are ordering reservoirs be emptied into the Sacramento River on behalf of the Salmon. This during a drought. Not a single new reservoir has been built there in decades.
I enjoyed the comment about coal plants and SUVs, though. Always ready for a guffaw.
Solomon Wright says
Ditto to the max! The protesters don’t even watch left-leaning media videos of Gaza. A cease-fire, the middle of the night, two missile tracers zoom from gaza city, what should any intelligent person do? Blast the building the missiles came from! The ‘mercy-less’ hamas launched the missiles from a school. Duh.
Bezelel says
If Satan isn’t after you it means he has you. I hope Israel is well informed about the major differences between many of us in the US. Cali may have no conscience left to feel shame but that doesn’t stop them from disgracing the rest of us.
Davegreybeard says
Oh, but it gets much, much better than “Not a single new reservoir has been built there in decades, “they are actually planning on spending millions to TEAR DOWN EXISTING DAMS.
Try googleing “dam removal projects” and see what the fabulous Liberal minds have in store for the Left Coast.
Since I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I have a front row seat to watch this jolly show.
gravenimage says
So do I, Dave—utter madness.
Jay Boo says
They will say that Muslims in Saudi Arabia had every right to be offended by the presence of non-Muslim troops on Islamic soil.
Yet they will also say Muslims have every right to build a mosque anywhere they please including the Ground Zero mosque.
They with ignore persecution by intolerant Muslims with silence
Yet they wish to control the dialog when they seek an opportunity to appear more tolerant than others.
Yaakov Holansky says
In today’s JPost there is an interview with a BDS Spokesperson regarding the Zim boycott. Finally, BDS admitted that it isn’t only settlements started after 67′ she claimed that they. Are boycotting ISRAEL for the settlements since 48′. She doesn’t know her history but her point was the GOAL OF BDS IS THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL.
ROBERT, I wanted to send this article to you but didn’t know how to send it. I thought it was significant the admission.
gravenimage says
Yaakov Holansky wrote:
In today’s JPost there is an interview with a BDS Spokesperson regarding the Zim boycott. Finally, BDS admitted that it isn’t only settlements started after 67′ she claimed that they. Are boycotting ISRAEL for the settlements since 48′. She doesn’t know her history but her point was the GOAL OF BDS IS THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL.
………………………………..
Yes—of course, we all knew that, but I imagine many naîvely assume that these “Palestinian supporters” are for some sort of “two-state solution”.
Understanding that what they seek is the out-and-out destruction of Israel is absolutely crucial.
More:
ROBERT, I wanted to send this article to you but didn’t know how to send it. I thought it was significant the admission.
………………………………..
Yaakov, you can always send a message to Robert Spencer at the “Contact Jihad Watch” box on the right side of the screen near the top.
Do you have the link for the JPost article? I Googled around but couldn’t locate the specific piece. I know I’d be interested in reading it.
gravenimage says
Oakland: Pro-jihad terror thugs seek to keep Israeli ship from docking
…………………………………
Yes—and all the thugs were waving “Palestinian” flags.
More:
A similar blockade against a Zim vessel took place in 2010, when pro-Palestinian activists formed picket lines in response to Israel’s attack on a flotilla ferrying humanitarian outreach workers to Gaza…
…………………………………
More crap. This was a Jihad flotilla, and those on the ships viciously attacked boarding Israelis.
More:
“After the flotilla was attacked by the state of Israel, we successfully were able to block the Zim Lines ship here, with the ILWU,” Kiswani said. “So for years we were working with ILWU, with rank and file, and with the leadership, to try and raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians.” In 1984, she added, “ILWU took a position against apartheid (sic), and the workers refused to unload that ship”.
…………………………………
Good news—the union isn’t going along with this bs this time:
“Oakland Protestors try to Block Israeli Shipping; Union Not Interested”
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/08/17/Oakland-Protestors-Try-to-Block-Israeli-Shipping-Union-Not-Interested
By the way, these same thugs have been rioting, smashing out windows, and have put a police officer in the hospital.
These “protests” have been over everything and nothing, including the police shooting of a strong-arm robber in Missouri, the resurgence of the “Occupy” movement, and support for Hamas. This headline says it all:
“Protests Rise Again in Oakland, Initially over Ferguson, MO Shooting”
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/08/17/Protests-Rise-Again-in-Oakland-Initially-Over-Ferguson-MO-Shooting
Jack says
I took your advice and sent the JPost article via the method you recommended. I hope it shows up soon. Yaakov
Huck Folder says
Fucking leftard ANTISEMITIC unions again. Like CUPE and CUPW in Canada, and especially CUPE bigmouth redneck SID RYAN, speaking for all Ontario workers.* He mouthed off for ten minutes (loves the sound of his own voice!) at a pro-hamas, anti-Israel rally and even called Netanyahu a MURDERER. Sue the bastard.
* Well he speaks for those who think like him, even some JINOs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if 20-30% or even more would say: “NO! You DON”T speak for me, make that clear before your rant starts.” Say: “I am speaking for Sid Ryan and Sid Shniad and a few dozen other visceral Jew-haters.”
Idiot Irish dipshit reject – should be sent back to join the rest of the Irish antisemites busily brown nosing palestinian butts.
And Michael Coren shouldn’t have him back on his TV panel, unless to shred him for his egregious support of SAVAGES against civilized Canadians and Israelis.
GP says
Calling all useful idiots! Time to put on your Che Guevara t-shirts and bring your picket signs, scream “free free Palestine”. These fools have no idea what it’s all about or why they are doing it, but they know they must support the anto-Zionism and raw Jew hatred and they have learned this from leftists, liberals, socialists, academia, and the media to a large extent. Truly they are useful idiots.
GP says
Islam is wholly incompatible with Western civilization, yet here it is. It is here because of mindless immigration policies and touchy-feely multiculturalism. Muslims have harnessed the freedom and liberties enjoyed in the west and used them to achieve their own aberrant goals. They do not want to assimilate into the culture of their host countries. Their goals will be met when sharia is the law of the land and islam the only religion. When America and the west become another one of their wretched hives!
Another favorite slogan of theirs is “Freedom Go To Hell”. So here they are trying to take yours away..They abhor the freedoms and perceived excesses of the West.
Alec Rawls says
I saw a report on the pro-Hamas anti-Israel demonstration on a local Bay Area news report tonight. They let the terror-supporters say their piece and reported the protest as perfectly legitimate. No hint anywhere that Hamas is Muslim Brotherhood, which is the parent organization of al Qaeda.
“These are the people who attacked us on 9/11,” I fumed to my gal: “Idiot station never reports Tea Party demonstrations at all, never mind with this kind of deference and respect.” Stinking Democrat-controlled news media are such a reeking heap of moral trash.
No Fear says
Haiku:
Pro-jihadis,
Loving Hamas child sacrifice,
love to hate the jews.
Yaakov Holansky says
Today’s. JPost or Times of Israel had a headline that the EU is going to follow suite with the BDS Boycott of Israeli products. If this is true it would be very significant. Has anyone else heard about this?
Separate from this Ken Roth of HRW is not embarrassed to state hi biased positions for Hamas and against Israel he is Exec Dir of HRW and investigator of Israel who won’t let him in. I keep tweeting him that with his public vies he needs to recluse himself from anything dealing with Israel he is borderline Anti-Semite. He may even be Jewish in name only
Kalifornia Kafir says
There’s another story from the East Bay that you might find interesting.
Palestinian Group Clashes With Swalwell Over His Support for Israel
http://www.ebcitizen.com/2014/08/palestinian-group-clashes-with-swalwell.html
I was at this townhall meeting. The pro-Palestinian group got to the meeting early and got all of the early speaker cards (they were called in numerical order). They dominated the meeting–trying to filibuster with lectures rather than pose questions. They tried to portray themselves as the innocent victims, champions of the oppressed Gazans. Some were Afgani (there’s a large Afgan community in Alameda County), some were white dhimmis. As the evening wore on, one of them let down his guard. He actually described himself as “anti-Israel.” Both of these stories tell me that there’s a very large pro-Palestinian contingent in the East Bay.