WASHINGTON: In a display of solidarity with the innocent Palestinians in Gaza, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered at the Port of Tacoma in Washington state of the United States, attempting to block a military supply vessel believed to be carrying weapons and other military hardware destined for Israel.
Under somber skies and steady rain, demonstrators rallied against the ongoing Israeli violence in the Gaza Strip, where more than 10,000 innocent Palestinians have been martyred.
The protesters demanded an immediate ceasefire and called for a reevaluation of US foreign policy and funding to Israel. Wassim Hage, one of the demonstrators at the Tacoma rally, stated, “We want a ceasefire now. We want people to stop getting murdered now. We want a real examination and action on US foreign policy and US funding to Israel.”
US Foreign Policy and Funding to Israel
According to Hage, they received information from a confidential source indicating that the vessel, named the Cape Orlando, was loaded with weapons and military equipment bound for Israel as part of its military offensive in Gaza. Jeff Jurgensen, a Pentagon spokesperson, acknowledged that the ship was used to support the movement of US military cargo but declined to provide further details.
At the protest, demonstrators, ranging from young activists to Indigenous warriors, waved Palestinian flags, displayed signs reading “Defend Gaza,” and chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes!” Protesters utilized bicycles and cars with blinking hazard lights to block traffic around the port, expressing their fervent opposition to the shipment of military supplies to Israel.
