Activists Demand Spain Stop Port Calls of Maersk Line Ships Carrying Arms

 

The continuing effort by activist groups to interrupt the shipment of military supplies to Israel took a new turn as an activist group demanded that Spain stop permitting port calls for Maersk Line, Limited ships. The groups calling themselves Progressive International and the Palestinian Youth Movement pointed to at least 25 shipments that were aboard vessels making port calls at Port Algeciras.

A member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies and secretary-general of the Communist Party of Spain Enrique Santiago also stepped into the controversy sending a letter to Spain’s Attorney General calling for two Maersk Line, Limited vessels currently sailing toward the Mediterranean to be denied port calls in Spain.

Maersk Line, Limited is a Maersk subsidiary that operates U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed ships under U.S. government subsidy. A large share of MLL cargoes are government-owned goods and equipment, including military cargoes.  

Two current voyages became the target of the activists. The Maersk Denver (6,200 TEU) departed New York on October 31 with its declared first port on its AIS and published schedule as Tangiers Med 2. It is scheduled to proceed to Oman, the UAE, Pakistan, and India. The Maersk Seletar (6,648 TEU) departed New York on November 4 and shows on its schedule Algeciras as its first port. It is also scheduled to continue to Oman, the UAE, Pakistan, and India.

After the report was delivered by the activists to the government, a spokesperson for Spain’s Foreign Ministry said they would be studying the details and investigating. 

“If the information is confirmed, all necessary measures will be taken,” the spokesperson told the Spanish media. “The MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) has rejected and will continue to reject all requests to call at Spanish ports of vessels carrying military material and having Israel as final destination.”

In May 2024, Spain announced its policy banning ships loaded with military material destined for Israel. They said these ships would be banned from port calls.

The group cites the port calls by a dozen Maersk Line, Limited vessels in Spain between September 2023 and September 2024. They allege a review of the manifests shows a declaration of military cargoes being sent to Israel including armored and tactical vehicles, aircraft components, parts of artillery systems, and unidentified “military equipment.”

The protests began in May 2024 when activists targeted other vessels including a Danish-owned cargo ship, the Marianne Danica (2,200 dwt), which was denied permission for a port call in Spain. The same groups targeted another vessel, the German-owned Borkum (5,489 dwt), but in that case the Spanish government said it was satisfied the cargo belonged to the Czech government. Activists also sought to prevent a port call in Gibraltar by an OSG tanker.

Worldwide there have been multiple protests to interrupt shipments to Israel. Protestors in Australia sought to block Zim vessels from arriving in port. Earlier this week, pro-Palestinian protestors boarded a cargo ship in Turkey which they alleged was transporting explosives bound for Israel. Since July, activists have hounded that German-owned cargo ship demanding it be turned away from ports and not permitted to offload its cargo.