Tunisian pro-Palestine activists have long been calling for a ban on companies with ties to Israel operating in Tunisia. [Getty]
In Tunisia, pro-Palestine protesters were physically attacked by alleged workers at the global shipping giant Maersk, which has been accused of facilitating Israel’s war on Gaza.
On 18 March, members of the Coordination for Joint Action for Palestine marched to Maersk’s offices in the capital, Tunis, as part of a global wave of protests against the Danish company which its US subsidiary Maersk Line, Limited has been accused of shipping arms to the Israeli army amid its genocide on Gaza.
Chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, protesters tagged the building, covering its facade in red paint, which they said symbolised “the blood of Gaza’s martyrs,” while others scrawled anti-Israel and “Free Palestine” graffiti on its walls.
The demonstration quickly escalated when a security guard, reportedly working at the building, attacked protesters with water before brandishing a hammer in an apparent attempt to threaten them.
A number of activists briefly forced their way inside.
A heated exchange outside the building lasted over 15 minutes, according to video footage documenting the protest. Some workers armed themselves with tools from nearby construction, using violence to force the protesters to leave. In response, protesters threw stones at the armed workers. The altercation ended with injuries on both sides. All of this unfolded without any police presence.
The New Arab reached out to Maersk for comment and to confirm the identity of the workers but received no response at the time of publication.
The Coordination for Joint Action for Palestine told TNA that multiple workers were involved in attacking the protesters, including “the building’s security guard, the building owner, and two unidentified individuals who were present at Maersk’s office.”
Following the protest, several activists and workers were detained and taken to the La Goulette police station in Tunis. Three were hospitalised before being questioned again later that day.
The building where Maersk’s office is situated in Tunis is collectively rented by multiple companies.
“While the assault complaint was filed by these individuals as private persons, the building owner filed a separate complaint for property damage”, Wael Naouar, a member of the pro-Palestine movement, said to TNA.
Meanwhile, activists who were harmed during the protest have filed a complaint against Maersk.
The pro-Palestine group reaffirmed its commitment to escalating its actions against the company, stating it would continue its mobilisation “until Maersk halts its shipments of weapons to the Zionist entity.”
The Coordination for Joint Action for Palestine condemned the detentions, saying protesters were being punished for actions seen globally in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and that authorities, instead of addressing the company’s role, they have “detained protesters, leaving them at the police station all morning, waiting to hear if they’ll be released or charged.”
The activists and security personnel involved were later released pending further legal proceedings. Police have since reinforced security around the site.
Tunisian pro-Palestine activists have long been calling for a ban on companies with ties to Israel operating in Tunisia.
Tunisia has no official ties with Israel. However, since the war on Gaza began, policymakers and activists have pushed to criminalise normalisation with Israel.
A draft law criminalising normalisation, widely expected to pass in Parliament, was halted in November 2023 by President Kais Saied, who argued it was necessary to “preserve the country’s interests.”
Maersk, the Danish shipping and logistics giant, has faced mounting criticism from pro-Palestinian groups worldwide, who accuse it of transporting military equipment to Israel.
Investigative media outlet Danwatch and Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet have published bills of lading from Maersk showing it had shipped armoured combat vehicles and other military hardware to Israel.
In November, a Maersk container ship was denied entry to the Spanish port of Algeciras on the grounds that it had transported weapons for Israel, a claim the company denied.
United Nations experts have urged countries to impose sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel, saying that its war on Gaza since 7 October 2023 amounts to genocide.
Earlier this month, a shareholder activist group, Kritiske Aktionærer, submitted a proposal to the board to block the world’s second-largest ocean carrier from transporting military cargo to Israel.
On 18 March, at Maersk’s annual general meeting, shareholders rejected the proposal.
Maersk, which holds a contract with the US government, has once again insisted it is only transporting military equipment, not weapons or ammunition, and that it adheres “strictly” to international regulations and embargoes.
