Jul 17, 2025
Thousands of people gathered at piers 2 and 3 of the port of Piraeus on Wednesday night, 16 July, following a call by dockworkers’ unions to block the unloading of military cargo reportedly destined for Israel. The mobilisation, involving political organisations and Palestine solidarity groups, successfully prevented the unloading of enriched steel intended for military use by the Israeli armed forces. It is the second time in recent weeks that such a shipment has been blocked.
Protesters filled the piers with Palestinian flags, keffiyehs and T-shirts bearing the slogan “Free Palestine”, while chants rang out under the night sky. Among the most prominent was: “No cooperation with Israel – no port for genocide.”
The demonstration was a clear act of resistance to Greece’s ongoing diplomatic and logistical cooperation with Israel amid its continued assault on Gaza. Grassroots initiatives such as the March to Gaza joined with local political organisations to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and to support the stance of the port workers.
Crowds began assembling at around 10pm, as the vessel Cosco Shipping Pisces, believed to be carrying the shipment, docked at the port. According to initial reports, the ship was transporting five containers of enriched steel for military use.
The ENEDEP union – representing container terminal workers – later announced that dockworkers would maintain a continuous presence at the site to ensure that the cargo would not be unloaded. The union reiterated its refusal to facilitate Greece’s participation in what it described as war crimes committed by the Israeli state in Gaza.
The prevailing slogan of the evening captured the resolve of the mobilisation: “The dockworkers sign it for you – they do not stain their hands with the blood of the people.”
Markos Bekris, president of the ENEDEP union and of the Piraeus Labour Centre, confirmed that the containers had been located and that the ship is expected to remain in port until 20 July. “We are on standby,” he said, “and if necessary, we will escalate.”
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