“We will shut down Europe”: Italian dockworkers threaten ‘Israel’ if it blocks Gaza aid flotilla

Italian dockworkers have issued a threat to impose a full cargo ban on all shipments to ‘Israel’ if the Global Sumud Flotilla is intercepted by ‘Israeli’ forces.

The ultimatum, delivered by the Autonomous Collective of Dockworkers (CALP) at a public vigil, warns that if they "lose contact" with the boats, they will "block all of Europe" and ensure "nothing will leave anymore" from the Port of Genoa for ‘Israel’.

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“Around mid-September, these boats will arrive near the coast of Gaza. If we lose contact with our boats, with our comrades, even for just 20 minutes, we will shut down all of Europe,” said one dockworker in a video.

“From this region 13 to 14,000 containers leave every year for Israel, not a single nail will leave anymore,” he added.

.The threat is a measure to protect the lives of activists on the flotilla, which is described as the "largest solidarity mission in history".

The mission, organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, consists of more than 50 ships carrying humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, to Gaza.

The dockworkers' action follows a history of confrontations, most notably the 2010 ‘Israeli’ raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla that resulted in the deaths of nine activists.

This action is part of a broader, coordinated movement among European port and transport workers. Unions have previously refused to handle military shipments bound for ‘Israel’ in locations including Genoa, Marseille, and Piraeus in an effort to make the Port of Genoa a "civilian port and not a port of war", according to the Unione Sindacale di Base (USB).