Pro-Palestinian protesters block US military supply ship for hours in California

In California, a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators made their way into the Port of Oakland and obstructed a US government ship, expressing their disapproval of America's support for Israel. The protest, which took place on a Friday morning, saw around 200 members of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center gather near The Cape Orlando, a merchant marine ship managed by the Department of Transportation.

As port security shut the entrance, hundreds more joined the protest.
The demonstrators, some of whom clung to a rope ladder to prevent the closing of a ship's door, chanted slogans like "Joe Biden, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide!" and displayed banners with messages such as "Biden, Pelosi: Don't Aid and Abet War Crimes, Ceasefire!" and "No US

Military Aid to Israel

."
Despite attempts by a US Coast Guard negotiator to remove the protesters from the ship, they remained steadfast. Mohamed Shehk, one of the protesters, claimed the demonstration was peaceful and aimed to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Abushamala, who was one of many demonstrators, said she lost several relatives in the war. "One missile killed three generations. An uncle, their son, and their child," Abushamala told CBS news. "I'm enraged that our government is still sending aid, missiles to Israel."
This incident occurred following the House of Representatives' decision to approve $14.3 billion in federal aid to Israel, reallocating funds initially intended for the IRS under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The bill passed with a majority vote, with only two Republicans opposing it.

The Oakland Police Department and the US Coast Guard have not commented on whether any arrests were made during the protest.