Port of Oakland: Protesters gathered early Saturday morning opposing U.S. aid in Israel-Hamas war

The death toll from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza since October has eclipsed 23,000 people.

OAKLAND — Rain did not dissuade scores of protesters from gathering at the Port of Oakland by 5 a.m. Saturday, opposing the United States’ continued military aid in Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.

Several hours before sunrise, an estimated 2,500 community members began pounding drums and chanting on Seventh Street to disrupt port operations, according to Wassim Hage, a spokesperson for the Arab Resource and Organizing Center.

Organizers said they believed a ship carrying military supplies was set to arrive at the port, though that claim could not be immediately verified. In November, a similar protest at the Port of Oakland targeted the Cape Orlando vessel, a ship with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration, authorities said.

Saturday’s protest is expected to continue into the afternoon, including a march from the West Oakland BART station. Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day this weekend, AROC said the action was a way to “honor and uphold (his) radical legacy … and his internationalist vision for human rights, racial justice, and an end to war and exploitation across the world.”

The move comes more than three months after Hamas’ surprise attack on Oct. 7 left more than 1,400 people dead across southern Israel. Since then, the death toll from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has eclipsed 23,000 people, which is roughly 1% of the Palestinian territory’s population. Experts say the Israeli bombing is among the most intense in modern history.

Lara Kiswani, executive director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, said Saturday’s protest aimed to disrupt business at the port, which generates around $12 million in revenue daily.

“This is nearly the same amount of money that the US sends to Israel per day in economic and military aid,” Kiswani said in a statement. “The Oakland port has facilitated the transport of weapons, military equipment, and technology that fuel the Israeli genocide of Palestinians. As long as the US enables this war with our tax dollars and through our port, there can be no business as usual.”

This is a developing story, check back for updates.