Members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), together with community activists, rallied outside Danish shipping giant Maersk’s office on March 18, demanding it support resolutions at its annual general meeting to stop sending weapons to Israel.
The international day of action called on Maersk to stop profiting from Israel’s war against Gaza.
Protests were held around Europe the same day, including a rally of more than 1000, attended by prominent climate and peace activist Greta Thunberg, in Copenhagen, where around 20 people were arrested.
The MUA said Maersk, the second largest global shipping and logistics company, is one of Israel’s main partners in its genocide of the Palestinian people.
In a letter presented to Maersk executives, the MUA said research showed Maersk has carried at least 2000 shipments of arms from the US to Israel since 2023 — which includes the Israeli military’s genocidal violence on Palestinians.
“This is unequivocal, active profiteering from and complicity in this genocidal occupation,” the MUA said. The union is calling for a permanent ceasefire and immediate steps towards a just peace for the Palestinian people.
Maersk shipped thousands of tonnes of military goods, in 2000 shipments from the US to the Israeli military according, from September 2023 to September 2024, to the Palestinian Youth Movement.
They included hulls, engines and specialized parts for armored personnel carriers, as well as tactical vehicles, and aircraft and projectile systems.
The protest was organised by Sydney Palestine Actions, the MUA and Inner West for Palestine, one of the many groups that has signed an open letter calling on Maersk shareholders to demand it disclose its human rights practices.
Paja from Sydney Palestine Actions called on superannuation funds and other Maersk shareholders to vote for parties supporting an end to ties with apartheid Israel.
Maersk’s board opposed the resolutions to boycott trade with Israel and the motions lost. The AFP reported on March 19: “The resolution submitted by a shareholder would have forced Maersk to publish human rights risk assessments it carried out ahead of the transfers, and a second [resolution] to halt arms transfers to Israel.”
The resolutions were supported by more than 70 NGOs including Amnesty International, Oxfam Denmark and ActionAid.
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