The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay warned its members that a possible “blockade” by anti-Israel activists could shut down their businesses on Monday, April 15. The protest’s supporters include notorious Philadelphia cop killer Mumia Abu Jamal.
The Exchange is a nonprofit trade association promoting the Delaware River commercial maritime industry, including the Port of Philadelphia.
“Please be advised that activists proclaiming support of Palestine are preparing an event on April 15, 2024, to blockade major economic chokepoints with the goal of causing as much economic damage as possible,” the Exchange told its members. “The website, www.a15action.com, references port shutdowns as an example of actions that could create significant economic impact.”
A15 Action’s main message? To “open up new fronts against the Zionist war machine,” according to a video the organization posted on social media. “We must end the Zionist project now.”
The website listed Philadelphia as one of the “major choke points” in the global economy that the group believes must be shut down to disrupt the economy as much as possible.
A15 vowed the protests would “disrupt global logistical hubs,” including truck and ship transportation hubs in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. It claims demonstrations could expand if police get involved at any protest site worldwide.
In Australia, police in the state of Victoria have had to divert resources from regional stations and specialist units to prepare for protests at multiple locations.
Pennsylvania State Police declined to comment about the threat or any preparations they are making. The Department of Homeland Security and the Port of Philadelphia declined requests for comment.
Despite the solidarity vows, an A15 spokesperson told DVJournal the group’s international leadership isn’t sending orders and instructions on what to do.
“April 15th is a broad constellation of actions and not a centrally-organized movement,” said the spokesperson. “Everyone is encouraged to design their own actions based on their local capacity and relationships with their communities. A15 isn’t about providing direct input or guidance on other groups’ actions to respect autonomy.”
At the same time, the group’s website promised to conduct a “post-action debrief” to discuss any critiques that might come up. Those talks won’t be made public.
A15 has pointed to January protests in Oakland, Calif. and Melbourne, Australia, as a template for possible action.
The Oakland protest lasted a single day and closed parts of the Oakland Seaport’s four ship terminals.
The Australia demonstration lasted four days and targeted ZIM shipping company, whose parent company is owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. It kept 50,000 containers from reaching the port.
If the goal of those gatherings was to hurt the Israeli economy, that’s not what happened. Executives at both ports said that the protests did more harm to the local economies.
“There are nearly 100,000 local jobs that are impacted when there’s a disruption to our maritime operations,” an Oakland Seaport spokesperson told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Those are the very real impacts that we’re talking about when there are demonstrators…”
Anyone arrested while participating in an illegal blockade could receive help from the left-wing National Lawyers Guild. A15’s website directs people to contact the group for legal support and access to a local bail fund. National Lawyers Guild Executive Committee members include convicted Philadelphia cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal and labor organizer Suzanne Adely. Adely once claimed that American Jews living in the West Bank were “white supremacists.”
If the anti-Israel protests occur as scheduled, it will be just 48 hours after the antisemitic Iranian regime launched a massive missile and drone strike against the Jewish state.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia condemned the planned demonstrations. A spokesperson told DVJournal the group sees it as another example of the fear and danger that Jews have faced since the Oct. 7 music festival massacre by Hamas in Israel.
“This tactic of civil disobedience intends to intimidate and isolate,” said the spokesperson. “In addition to the blatant antisemitism, this event promulgates safety hazards for the entire community because of how it is enacted – in this case, by blockading shipping terminals as a threat to the global economy.”
