Anti-war Pickets Shut Down Terminal at Port of Oakland

Anti-War pickets shut down the terminal of Stevedoring Services of America at the Port of Oakland yesterday, May 19, 2007. Three ships stood idle inside the terminal. Pickets accused SSA of war profiteering. Workers stood by their cars parked in the street surrounding the terminal for hours before they were sent home.

Members of the International Long Shore Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 10 refused to cross the picket line bringing work to a stop for both the day and second shifts. Many longshoremen expressed support for the pickets, but there primary concern was safety. Their concerns were not so much about the pickets, but the heavy police presence. Police shot many longshoremen on April 7, 2003 at a similar anti-war picket.

This time the police presence, though heavy, was low key. The day before, Mayor Ron Dellums wrote to the Port Action Committee, which had organized the pickets, stating that he was "honored to join them in calling for an end to the war in Iraq." There were no arrests.

Pickets also called for port revenues to be redirected to fund schools and social services.

To contact the Port Action Committee: portaction [at] riseup.net