Police Pepper Spray Free Palestine Protestors at Port Melbourne Docks

Dozens of free-Palestine protestors were pepper-sprayed by police and 10 people were arrested in Port Melbourne on Monday after a four-day community picket blocked access to an Israeli cargo ship at the dock. 

A group of activists and members of action groups including Free Palestine Melbourne, the Sit Intifada and the Black Peoples Union gathered on the main road outside the Webb Dock in Port Melbourne on Friday where a cargo ship owned by Israeli company ZIM was attempting to dock and unload. The group blocked six consecutive shifts of port workers from entering the terminal, therefore forcing the ship to anchor in the bay and not enter the port.

“The aim was to interrupt work for ZIM company. Trucks and other companies were let in and our picket held a strong line … to ensure people [did] not work for ZIM,” organiser and Free Palestine Melbourne member Tasnim Sammak told VICE. 

ZIM, founded in 1945 before the state of Israel, is an Israeli-government-owned international cargo shipping company and one of the world’s largest that ships all over the world. The movement to block ZIM ships and therefore disrupt Israel’s economy is global and aims to send messages to all world leaders about trading with the state of Israel. 

“We are sending a clear message to the Australian government first and to ZIM organisation that you are playing a big part in the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people,” Mohammed Shurrab, a member of the Sit Intifada who attended the picket, told VICE. 

“We are asking you as Australian citizens, as Palestinian people, as humans, to stop supporting the genocide, to stop arming Israel.”

A crowd of about 50 people were present throughout the blockade, with about 300 present at the peak, Sammak said. Police attempted several times over the weekend to break up the rally. 

“Police arrived on the very first day, in the morning,” Sit Intifada member Ihab Al Azhari, who was present over the weekend, told VICE. 

“Maybe 30 of them – they were very aggressive, they tried hard to [remove us] immediately … but all the community were steadfast and committed to it and we managed to send a straight message to the police and the government we are here to disturb the ZIM company.”

Al Azhari said no work or access relating to any other shipping companies was interrupted or interfered with – only those connected to ZIM. 

On the fourth day, when only the core crowd of a few dozen people were present – officially 30-40 people according to the Victoria Police report – more than 100 officers including some on horseback and many from the Public Order Response Unit arrived and used a kettling technique to corral the crowd away from the dock. Footage shows officers pushing and pulling people out of the crowd and using pepper spray. 

Legal observers from Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) were on site as witnesses and published a Preliminary Statement of Concern that noted “multiple uses of OC (Pepper) spray against people who were not posing any direct threat to police, in ways to move people from an area”. 

“OC spray was also used multiple times during Monday evening (22.01.24) in ways that appeared outside of guidelines. Use of OC spray outside of VicPol guidelines is unlawful and may constitute assault,” the report read.

Shurrab, who was pepper sprayed by police, said it was “very disturbing”.

“The way I see it when you are going out there protesting against genocide and the police, whose job is to hold peace and justice … are pepper spraying and being violent towards the people who are protesting against genocide that itself doesn’t represent either justice or peace.”

The MALS report also said, “Police crowd control manoeuvres designed to clear the area on Monday evening appeared unplanned, chaotic, and dangerous, escalating conflicts and causing immense anger, confusion and distress.” 

“Police were seen aggressively grabbing, pushing, and yelling at people trying to move away or communicate their concerns with police.”

A Victoria Police spokesperson told the ABC pepper spray was used “due to the aggressive nature of some of the protesters,” and that the police presence had escalated because the nature of the protest had too.

“The protest activity is extremely dynamic and has escalated in recent days. So too has our police response.”

They also said officers spoke to the group and they were asked to move on or face trespass charges.

But Shurrab said once move-along orders were issued by the “great number” of police officers, protestors weren’t given enough time to move or discuss to coordinate.

“The message was clear they were coming with full force,” he said.

Ten people were arrested, nine for trespass and one for criminal damage. 

But Shurrab also said the movement would continue.

“As a Palestinian, I have never ever seen a movement around the world supporting the Palestinian people and condemning the genocide in my lifetime,” he said. 

“It’s just fantastic to see all over the world and we encourage everyone to do so until the genocide is over. Even when the genocide is over we are after those people who committed the genocide to be held accountable and responsible for it.”

More than 25,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its war on October 7, after an initial attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 240 people hostage.

Aleksandra Bliszczyk is the Deputy Editor of VICE Australia. Follow her on Instagram.

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