Aris Oikonomou/ SOOC
Jul 9, 2925
The Piraeus Container Handling Workers Union (ENEDEP) has issued a statement denouncing the scheduled arrival of the cargo ship Ever Golden, reportedly carrying military-grade steel bound for Israel. According to the union, the vessel is expected to dock at Piers 2 and 3 of the Port of Piraeus at 7.30am on Monday, 14 July.
“This cargo will be used to continue the massacre of civilians, the bombing of hospitals, schools, children, infants and women,” ENEDEP stated. The union has called for a mobilisation at 6.30am on the same day, with the aim of preventing the unloading and onward transport of what it describes as “deadly cargo”.
“We will not stain our hands with blood,” the statement continues. “We will not become accomplices – and at the same time, targets of retaliation.”
ENEDEP’s full announcement:
Colleagues,
- The ENEDEP Port Workers Union calls for mobilisation on Monday, 14 July at 6.30am at Piers 2 and 3, Port of Piraeus.
- Sisters and brothers, our union declares unequivocally: port workers will not become accomplices. We will not unload military steel from the Ever Golden.
- The ship Ever Golden, carrying military cargo destined for Israel, is expected to dock at Piers 2 and 3 at 7.30am. This cargo will be used to continue the slaughter of civilians and the bombing of hospitals, schools and residential areas.
- The port of Piraeus is not, and must not become, a forward base for the United States, NATO or the European Union.
- We call on the people of Piraeus, fellow dock workers, the Labour Centre, student unions, mass organisations and the youth to gather for a mass mobilisation on Monday morning at the SEMPO gate in Neos Ikonios, at Piers 2 and 3.
- Our goal is to stop the unloading and block the transport of this cargo in practice. We will not become complicit in war crimes or place ourselves at risk of retaliation.
- Every colleague’s presence is crucial.
- Together – workers, unions, organisations and the people – let us raise our voices against war and against our country’s imperialist entanglement. The current government claims ignorance of the OPEKEPE scandal, but it knows full well that it is permitting war cargo to transit through our territory, sealing the fate of people elsewhere.
- They are reckless and indifferent to the consequences for the Greek people. Their only concern is the profits of monopolies.
- We have a duty to ensure that our port is not turned into a cog in a war machine targeting defenceless populations.
We organise. We mobilise. We resist.
Assembly: Monday 14 July, 6.30am. Freedom for Palestine.
We call on everyone in Piraeus to attend, to show that society and the working class refuse to become complicit in war crimes.
With combative greetings,
The Board of Directors of ENEDEP
BDS Greece: legal and ethical obligations for port authorities
On the same day, BDS Greece sent a letter to the Piraeus Port Authority, alerting them to the impending arrival of the Ever Golden (IMO: 9811012), which is reportedly carrying military steel for transfer to another vessel in Piraeus before reaching Israel. The letter was also sent to Palestinian solidarity groups and other relevant authorities.
The letter warns that facilitating such shipments risks rendering the port and its operators complicit in grave breaches of international law, including possible genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Citing the ASCOMARE legal opinion (March 2025), the letter outlines the following obligations for port and maritime authorities:
- International human rights and humanitarian law – including the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute – prohibit assisting in acts that facilitate war crimes.
- Customary international law – prohibits any form of support for breaches of peremptory norms (jus cogens), including genocide and apartheid.
The letter notes that under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a ship carrying military goods to a state committing serious violations of international law does not have an automatic right to innocent passage. Port authorities are obliged to inspect and, if necessary, deny access. The individuals responsible for the vessel may face prosecution under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
Proof of risk of complicity
BDS Greece refers to the International Court of Justice’s preliminary ruling in South Africa v. Israel (2024), which found credible evidence of potential genocide. It argues that transporting military-grade steel, used in weapons systems, infrastructure and settlement expansion, directly contributes to these violations.
Demands for immediate action
In light of these obligations, BDS Greece demands that the Piraeus Port Authority:
- Halt all docking, unloading and transshipment of military materials destined for Israel.
- Conduct thorough inspections to ensure that no cargo transiting through the port contributes to international law violations.
- Disclose any contracts or agreements with entities involved in arms transfers to Israel.
The letter warns that failure to comply could result in:
- Legal action for aiding and abetting war crimes.
- Damage to the port’s reputation and potential economic fallout, including divestment campaigns and sanctions.
- Investigation by international courts for complicity in breaches of international law.
The letter concludes with a call for urgent compliance and requests written confirmation within three working days.
Legal intervention highlights Greece’s international obligations
Today, Wednesday 9 July, the Alternative Intervention of Lawyers of Athens submitted an official electronic report to the relevant prosecutorial and port authorities. The report raises serious concerns about the possible transport of military material or equipment for military use aboard the Ever Golden, in breach of Greece’s legal obligations. These include the duty not to aid or in any way facilitate the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or acts of genocide, as well as the obligation not to support Israel’s occupation and apartheid regime in the Palestinian territories.
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