Deltaport reopens after pro-Palestinian protest

Protesters working to “send a message to all of Canada” about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas shut down a major port in the Lower Mainland Monday.

According to organizers, more than 100 workers and community members “shut down GCT Deltaport” as part of coordinated action across the globe. The port is described by Global Container Terminals as “Canada’s flagship container terminal” and the “Gateway to the Pacific.”

The protest was aimed as “disrupting governments and economies that continue to aid and abet Israel’s vicious and inhumane assault on Gaza.”

The “People’s Picket for Palestine” came 192 days after Hamas’ attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians.

In the months since Oct. 7, 2023, more than 33,700 Palestinians have been killed.

Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and are living in dire circumstances, with little food and often in tents. Large swaths of the urban landscape have been damaged or destroyed, leaving many displaced Palestinians with nowhere to return to.

More than 1 million people are on the brink of starvation, according to groups on the frontline.

The Israeli military renewed warnings on Monday for Palestinians in Gaza not to return to the embattled territory’s north, a day after Gaza hospital officials said five people were killed as throngs of displaced residents tried to reach their homes in the war-torn area.

Some protesters likened what’s happening in the Middle East as what Canada had done to Indigenous peoples.

“How can we explain to youth that Canada is enabling Israel to carry out that same violent and colonial process against the Palestinian people of Gaza? Israel is making the conditions in Gaza unbearable and unlivable—and they are able to do this because countries like Canada support, fund, and arm this violence,” said activist and teacher Maryam Adrangi.

“I would say at the moment there has been some port security and there’s some police on site, but I would say there have been a number of trucks that have left honking and demonstrating their support for Palestine. Over the last six months, I think people have really seen that what Israel has been doing is not okay, it’s a genocide, they are showing a disproportionate amount of aggression toward innocent civilians and Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.”

Canada and other countries have come under intense criticism by many people and activists for their arms deals with Israel amid the ongoing war.

Last month, a symbolic vote was held in the House of Commons that called on Canada to cease future arms exports to Israel. The final version of the non-binding motion as approved by most Liberals said Canada should cease further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel, drawing condemnation from the Israeli government.

The original version of the motion said Canada should “suspend all trade in military goods and technology with Israel,” which would have nixed any existing permits.

As of March 20, Global Affairs Canada said there were no open permits for exports of lethal goods to Israel. However, export permits issued before Jan. 8 are still in effect.

“Given the nature of the supply chain, suspending all open permits would have important implications for both Canada and its allies,” Global Affairs said.

-With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press