Anti-genocide protests which have taken place regularly in Morocco escalated to coincide with the arrival of the Nexoe Maersk (flagged in Hong Kong) and another container ship involved in the onward transit of the components to Israel, the US-flagged Maersk Detroit. It is understood that the F-35 parts were en route to the Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel, a pivotal location for the Israeli Air Force’s war against the Palestinians.

On Sunday April 20, according to the Drop Site independent news outlet, “18 out of 20 remote crane controllers on the first shift” at Tangier Port “refused to operate machinery to service the ship believed to be carrying F-35 parts. On the second shift, 27 of 30 workers reportedly joined the refusal.”

The workers blockade in Tangier followed a boycott, April 18, by dockworkers backed by thousands of protesters at Casablanca port as the Nexoe Maersk arrived. This followed a call on April 14 by the Union of Port Workers in Morocco, for “workers, users and frameworks of companies operating in the port of Casablanca to boycott the ship”.