Seattle Community Demands Elected Officials Not Interfere with #BlockTheBoat Protest

#BlockTheBoat Seattle Call to Action

CALL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIAL

Please leave a voicemail at all these numbers telling our elected officials not to interfere with the picket at the port and ask 3 other people to leave voicemails at all these numbers as well. Let’s fill these voicemails tonight and #BlockTheBoat!

• Mayor Jenny Durkan
  • (206) 684-4000
•  Port Commissioners Main Line:  Stephanie Bowman, Ryan Calkins, Fred Felleman, Peter Steinbruek, Sam Cho
  • (206) 787-3034
•  Port Commissioner (Alliance Chair) Fred Fellemen: Press 5 then Say “Fred Fell-man”, then say “Yes”. Hit # to leave voicemail
  • (206) 787-3000
•  Port Commissioner Stephanie Bowman: Press 5 then Say “Stephanie Bowman”, then say “Yes”. Hit # to leave voicemail
  • (206) 787-3000
•  Port Commissioner Sam Cho: Press 5 then Say “Sam Cho”, then say “Yes”. Hit # to leave voicemail
  • (206) 787-3000
•  Port Commissioner Ryan Calkins: Press 5 then Say “Ryan Calkins”, then say “Yes”. Hit # to leave voicemail
  • (206) 787-3000
•  Port Commissioner Peter Steinbruek: Press 5 then Say “Peter Steinbruek”, then say “Yes”. Hit # to leave voicemail
• (206) 787-3000

Other Numbers: 

Port Commissioners Clerks

(206) 787-3210

Port Commission Policy Manager Aaron Pritchard

(206) 787-3944

Port Commissioner Chief of Staff Number

Phone: (206) 787-3717

Phone Script: 

Hello. My name is [ ] and I’m calling to demand that [insert Target’s name] uphold SSA President Edward DeNike’s decision to ask the ZIM San Diego vessel to leave the Port of Seattle. [Insert Target’s Name] needs to listen to the demands from our Seattle community to stop this boat from unloading and stand in solidarity with our first amendment right to protest. ILWU workers cannot unload the boat as #BlockTheBoat demonstrators pose a health and safety hazard and, as an elected official, you must not abuse your authority by interfering with the fundamental rights of workers at the port to make collective decisions in their workplace. We don’t want this boat to unload here. Don’t let it. Thanks. 

EMAIL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIAL

Mayor Durkan: jenny.durkan@seattle.gov

Port Commissioner (Alliance Chair) Fred Felleman” felleman.f@portseattle.org

Port Commissioner Stephanie Bowman: bowman.s@portseattle.org

Port Commissioner Sam Cho: Cho.s@portseattle.org

Port Commissioner Ryan Calkins” calkins.r@portseattle.org

Port Commissioner Peter Steinbruek” steinbrueck.p@portseattle.org

Tacoma Commissioner Chair| Dick Marzano: Dick.Marzano@portoftacoma.com

Tacoma Commissioner – John McCarthy” John.McCarthy@portoftacoma.com

 Tacoma Commissioner | Kristin Ang: Kristin.Ang@portoftacoma.com

Tacoma Commissioner | Don Meyer: Don.Meyer@portoftacoma.com

Tacoma Commissioner | Deanna Keller: Deanna.Keller@portoftacoma.com

Seattle Commission Clerk: commission-public-records@portseattle.org

Seattle Commission Policy Manager – Aaron Pritchard: pritchard.a@portseattle.org

Chief of Staff – Barb Wilson: wilson.b2@portseattle.org

Pro Tip: If you’re short on time, you can BCC all the email addresses

TEMPLATE

Email Subject Line: Don’t let the ZIM unload in Seattle

Email Text: 

Hello. 

My name is [ ] and I’m calling to demand that [insert Target’s name] uphold SSA President Edward DeNike’s decision to ask the ZIM San Diego vessel to leave the Port of Seattle after #BlockTheBoat organizers prevented workers from unloading the ship. The Israeli Consulate General has reportedly put pressure on our local officials to go against the strong message Seattle workers and community members have sent in opposing the unloading of the vessel from the Israeli ZIM shipping line.

Above and beyond the pressure and attempts at coercion of a foreign government with documented human rights abuses, you have a duty and obligation as a public official to respect and protect the first amendment rights of Seattle residents to conduct community pickets.

Edward DeNike, president of SSA Terminal at the Port of Seattle where the ZIM ship is at anchor, has asked ZIM to leave after a 12 day protest which has delayed the ZIM vessel from being unloaded. This delay culminated in a demonstration on June 12th where Seattle community mobilized in support of #BlockTheBoat to prevent the ZIM vessel from being unloaded.

The protest against Zim is a response to a call from labor unions in Palestine asking the world to support their human rights, and a Call to Action by the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), that compelled ILWU port workers to honor community pickets and similarly refuse to unload a ZIM-operated cargo ship at the Port of Oakland on June 4, 2021.

These calls to action came after the recent escalation of violence in May 2021 by the State of Israel against the Palestinian people which killed 295 Palestinians, wounded over 3,000, and displaced 90,000 from their homes.

Since the request was made for ZIM to leave, the ZIM vessel has refused, and continues to occupy a berth space at the port preventing other vessels from being unloaded. This comes as the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest attempts to pressure Seattle Public Officials to have ILWU unload the ZIM ship.

• We are calling on our Elected Officials and Port Commissioners to stand in solidarity with community members’ first amendment rights, and the autonomy of port workers to decide how and when they can safely do business. Our elected officials must not abuse their authority by interfering with the fundamental rights of workers at the port to make collective decisions in their workplace.
• We demand that our elected officials uphold the port terminal’s decision to ask the ZIM vessel to leave the Port of Seattle. The ILWU Local 19 cannot unload the ship, as the #BlockTheBoat demonstration has created a health and safety violation.
• We call on the City of Seattle, the Port Authority, and all other public agencies to respect the rights of community members to engage in #BlockTheBoat pickets and Seattle community members’ First Amendment right to protest Israeli apartheid. Finally, we call on Seattle public agencies to respect the autonomy of Seattle community members by not caving to Israeli government interests.

Thanks. 

TWITTER

Mayor Jenny Durkan

@mayorjenny

Port Commissioner Fred Felleman

@FredFelleman

Port Commissioner Stephanie Bowman

@Stephanie4Port

Port Commissioner Sam Cho

@SamChoTweets

Port Commissioner Ryan Calkins

 @ryancalkinsSEA

Port Commissioner Peter Steinbruek

@petersteinbrueck

Port of Seattle

@PortofSeattle

Hashtag:

#BlockTheBoat 

Sample Tweets:

.@mayorjenny we don’t want the ZIM boat to unload here! Respect the right to protest and workers’ rights to organize and #BlockTheBoat

[@ commissioner] Workers have the right to refuse to unload the ZIM ship! Protest is a protected right!

[@ commissioner] No apartheid in our port! #BlockTheBoat

[@ commissioner] Stand in solidarity with community members’ first amendment rights, and the autonomy of port workers to decide how and when they can safely do business. Do not force dock workers to unload the ZIM shipt! #BlockTheBoat

[@ commissioner] .@mayorjenny Elected officials must not abuse their authority by interfering with the fundamental rights of workers at the port to make collective decisions in their workplace. #BlockTheBoat

.@mayorjenny Stand up to Israel! This is our city! #ApartheidFreeZone #BlockTheBoat