Protesters gathered in Tangier, Morocco, on Saturday night to voice their opposition to the arrival of the American-flagged ship Maersk Denver, which is suspected of transporting arms bound for Israel. Demonstrators chanted, “Whoever welcomes Israel’s ships is not one of us,” condemning the docking of the vessel, which Spain had earlier barred from its ports.
According to the vessel tracking site MarineTraffic, the ship docked in Tangier, while VesselFinder reported its intended route included Oman.
Spanish authorities, citing a spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Spain would not issue docking permits for the ship. Danish shipping giant Maersk confirmed that its vessel was denied entry to the Spanish port of Algeciras but denied that it carried any military equipment for Israel.
The National Secretariat of the Moroccan Front in Support of Palestine expressed disappointment with Moroccan authorities for allowing the Maersk Denver to dock, despite previous warnings from various groups. The group claimed that the ship’s cargo would be transferred to another vessel bound for Haifa, Israel, and criticised Morocco for what it described as complicity with the US and Israel.
In a statement, the organisation denounced the Moroccan authorities’ decision, calling it the second such incident following a recent docking of Israel’s INS Komemiyut at the same port. They argued that such actions enable Israel’s alleged genocide against Palestinians and disregard Morocco’s stance on Palestinian support.
The Moroccan Front urged port workers to refuse to handle the shipment, condemning any facilitation of actions perceived as contributing to the oppression of the Palestinian people.