Container traffic was shut down completely Monday for about three hours as pro-Palestinian protesters blocked Deltaport Way.
About 50 protesters against the war in Gaza carrying signs, flags and shouting, “Free, free, free Palestine,” and “Shut it down for Palestine,” blocked the road at the entrance to the port, just west of the 41B overpass, before dispersing around 11 a.m.
The stoppage had rigs lined up along the shoulder of Deltaport Way with one driver saying he’d been stopped for two hours.
The event was part of a worldwide protest, said Atiya Jaffar.
“It’s a Global Day of Action on April 15. This is one of over 50 actions all over the world to shut it down in solidarity with Palestine,” she said.
The demand was for a full, two-way arms embargo with no loopholes that’s immediate so that Canada is no longer ship weapons or weapons components to Israel, she added.
However, a non-binding vote in the House of Commons to halt arms sales to Israel was approved in March.
She said that in the six-months during the war in Gaza, more than 39,000 people have been killed.
“We’re here because of the assault that is taking place in Gaza. We stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza who are experiencing collective punishment at the hands of Israel,” she said.
It’s Canada’s responsibility to ensure there’s de-escalation in the region and that it doesn’t continue to fan the flames of violence. Canada should play a role in ensuring peace in the region, she said.
The goal was to stop business as usual at Deltaport, which is a major point of commerce. “We did accomplish that, and we stayed as long as we could, while keeping everyone safe,” said Jaffar, adding there was lots of support from truckers.
Delta Police said they were going to talk to demonstrators saying they can protest but they can’t block the road.
She said the demonstration was a collection of concerned citizens, workers, parents, and teachers from all over the Lower Mainland, rather than one particular group.
