Rob AriasGaza protesters escalated their attacks on the Emeryville office of Maersk on Sunday, December 8.
The Danish shipping and logistics company has been targeted by protesters for, in their words “profiting off of genocide.” They’ve accused the company of being “Merchants of Death” claiming they are shipping arms to the Israel military including U.S. made F-35 fighter jet parts.
Previous daytime protests have been disruptive with some minor vandalism reported. This time, protesters escalated the attacks under the veil of night.
A video posted shows three figures, wearing paint suits and booties, approach the business on 66th street. They immediately splash buckets of red paint on the Maersk logo and brick facade of the building and smash the glass doors with hammers.
Maersk had apparently been anticipating these attacks as a wood barrier can be seen installed behind the glass preventing entry.
“Stop arming Israel or the people will shut you down by any means necessary,” copy overlaying the video demands.
A group calling themselves “Some Ordinary Autonomous Queers” later took credit for the attack. They followed up by publishing what might be considered a manifesto on the left-wing Indybay website.
The roughly 1500 word manifesto calls for class warfare themes while encouraging supporters to “pay the Maersk CEO a visit” while threatening employees that “there are consequences of your actions.”
“P.S. Free Luigi” the manifesto interludes referencing the recently arrested accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“We join with workers and actionists in Morocco,Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, and others in attacking Maersk. We refuse to be complicit in genocide,” it further details.
Whether or not the Israel-Hamas conflict meets the criteria of a “genocide” is hotly contested.
The conflict, that began following the bloody attack by Hamas at an Israeli music festival on October 7, 2023, is said to be close to negotiating a cease-fire.
