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Article

5 Jun 2025

Author:
By Le Monde (France)

France: Dockworkers at Marseille port block Israel-bound shipment of machine gun components made by co. Eurolinks in protest of "ongoing genocide"

Allegations
Palestinians look for survivors after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, on October 12 2023.

“French dock workers block arms shipment to Israel”

…French dock workers at a southern port are blocking the shipment of military equipment bound for Israel in protest at Israeli actions against Palestinians in Gaza, their union said. The stevedores at the port in Fos-sur-Mer outside Marseille have refused to load crates of links used to assist the rapid fire of bullets aboard the cargo vessel, the CGT trade union said.

Links are small metal pieces used to connect machine gun bullets, allowing for rapid bursts of fire. There has been concern in media and among rights groups that they have likely been used against civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Christophe Claret, leader of the dock workers in the port, said they had been notified that the ship was due to be loaded on Thursday with the equipment…

According to the union, the cargo is 19 pallets of links manufactured by the Marseille-based company Eurolinks. The CGT said the move made clear its refusal to "participate in the ongoing genocide orchestrated by the Israeli government." Leading rights groups have accused Israel of committing genocide in its military campaign, a charge vehemently rejected by the government…

Contacted by AFP, Eurolinks did not respond to a request for comment. The Port of Marseille-Fos had no comment.

Part of the following timelines

In response to Palestinian trade unions' call: workers and trade unionists disrupt manufacturing and handling of Israel-linked arms and military equipment; incl. co. comments

France: NGO sues arms producer Eurolinks over suspected "complicity in genocide" after allegations co. supplies machine gun parts to Israel