January 11, 4pm: Block The Boat Northwest · 1st Meeting of 2015
discuss future actions, creative plans · Convention Ctr. 2nd floor
Washington State Convention Center · 8th & Seneca, Seattle
Sunday free parking east of WSCC: http://www.wscc.com/parking-directions
or Metro Convention Center stop
Background:
On July 13, 2014, from under Israeli bombardment, the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and more than 100 other organizations called for solidarity.
An impressive Block the Boat Coalition came together in the SF Bay Area and accomplished the longest Blockade of an Israeli Ship in History preventing the unloading of a Zim ship by creating a picket that the ILWU local deemed in could not cross.
Just before the successful Bay Area blockade, two weeks before a Zim ship was scheduled to arrive in Tacoma (and then Seattle), activists from the Bay Area reached out to call for a West Coast Blockade. Local activists in Tacoma and Seattle succeeded in causing Zim days of delays and inflicting financial costs. We sent the message no more business as usual for Zim as long as the company is complicit with the ongoing blockade and bombardment of the captive population of Palestinians in Gaza.
And we will continue to send this same message.
Join us. Follow this page for regular updates.
Block the Boat Northwest 
Puget Sound Medic Collective plans to get your back and stand in Solidarity. Please email us and let us know how we can help!
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To the best of my knowledge, someone has already been in contact with your organization. Thank you very much for your help, we really appreciate it!
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Is there another way to get updates if we aren’t on Facebook?
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hi, we will update here
thanks
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Blocktheboat
More than one ZIM SHIP TO BLOCK.
WE MUST BE RELENTLESS AND SHOW ISRAEL AND THE WORLD THAT “WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!”
I’m from Los Angeles, CA
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Do it!!!
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Facebook event page for Pugent Sound blockade shutdown this past hour.
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As of 3:00 PM, Seattle time, still no access to Facebook event page. Anybody know why?
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Yes. This is true. Please spread the information on this website to people and places on Facebook. Thanks!
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Zim vessel site shows Zim Chicago docking Seattle 24th August, 2014. (Tacoma docking as listed above, 22nd August 2014.)
http://www.zim.com/services/schedules/pages/schedulebyport.aspx
We must not be tricked again, as our fellow brothers and sisters were in Oakland, who so valiantly BLOCKED THE BOAT for almost 4 days. There the vessel headed out to Los Angeles, only to do a u-turn, return to Oakland, and dock at a different berth. and unload.
We must be vigilant.
BRAVO to Oakland, lets to do same PUGET SOUND. PEACE.
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Yes, yes! I am concerned that the ship may be unloading right now in Vancouver B.C. and there is no blockade going on there. If anyone knows anyone in Vancouver B.C., please contact them and encourage a blockade! We should be be careful that ZIM does not trick us between Tacoma and Seattle! Stay alert!
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Just track the ship in real time using its on-board transponder.
Refresh the link below to see where it is:
http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/636092603
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Have you checked the marine location site that people in Oakland used. If you have not and think its a good idea, i will send you the url for it.
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Latest:
Zim Chicago just off Victoria, Canada. ETA Port of Tacoma 14:00 hrs (2:00 PM.)
Will update again in about 30 mins.
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Update:
Zim Chicago now turning as she begins her passage of Straits of Juan de Fuca. Still in Canadian waters.
ETA unchanged, arrival Port of Tacoma 14:00hrs (2:00 PM PST.)
Will update when she is in American waters.
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THe times on this are funny, Are you saying that the eta in tacoma is 8pm this evening (as put out there a couple of days ago) or are you saying it is 2pm which is approximately 40 minutes ago? Also what time does WordPress use? The last message says it was sent at 7:07pm.
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Dean,
Have updated post. Was following Zim Chicago using marine traffic website. They had not updated their ETA and had based it upon ZIM vessels master page. My error, I should have been more aware.
I have posted update, which has yet to clear. Main point, ETA of Zim Chicago at Port of Tacoma is still 20:00 hrs (8:00PM PST.)
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Update:
Zin Chicago past Port Townsend, and has entered Puget Sound, and is leaving Oak Bay to her starboard side and Mutiny Bay to her port side.
Port of Tacoma still reporting ETA as 20:00 hrs (8:00 PM)
Further updates as she approaches Seattle.
Apologies to all for any confusion.
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Do you have Legal Observers and Jail Support people?
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Update:
Zim Chicago has apparently just anchored outside of the entrance to Quartermaster harbor, Vashon Island. Latitude / Longitude: 47.33665° / -122.4725°
The ‘marine traffic’ website, which has been tracking said vessel and was quick to respond for most of today, has all of a sudden become very flaky. Aswell as providing data for the Zim Chicago, this site is now providing erroneous locations, and different vessel data, so please be careful.
If we have any contacts in the Tacoma area, please confirm sighting of ZIm Chicago just off Port of Tacoma. If she is there now, docking, unloading/loading can occur at any time.
Remember what they did in Oakland, a false sailing and doubling back.
For those of us tracking Zim Chicago from BC this morning, I would note her route was not logical, using up a great deal of unnecessary fuel. There were times when it looked like she was going into Victoria BC, and even Port Angeles, WA . If she is indeed just outside of the Port of Tacoma, then she could easily make her ETA of 20:00 hrs (8:00 PM PST.)
Why is she staying outside of the Port? Unless there was a backlog of vessels and/or inclement weather (neither of which appears to be the case,) then there is no reason for her not to dock.
Bait and switch possibly in play. Port of Tacoma website is showing ETA of Zim Chicago as Saturday, 23rd August 2014, 04:00 hrs.
But if she is really just outside of the Port, then?
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Do we have rank and file ILWU contacts to confirm workers being called out?
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Very good question and absolutely essential to the success of the protest. Does anyone know?
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It’s not clear what did happen in Taoma and Seattle. Did ILWU workers respect the picket lines? Did an arbitrator call the picket lines safety and health issues? Any after action reports from the Seattle and Tacoma activists.
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