Protests erupt in Morocco over Maersk 'F-35 cargo to Israel' docking in Casablanca, Tangier

Moroccan authorities on Friday evening blocked dozens of pro-Palestine activists from reaching the port of Casablanca, where a Maersk ship suspected of transporting F-35 fighter jet components to Israel was believed to be docked.

By 7 p.m. local time, demonstrators had begun assembling in front of the city's main train station, just metres from the entrance to the port. Waving Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs, the crowd moved cautiously toward the harbour, easily passing through an initial police barricade while chanting, "Our protest is peaceful".

However, at the second line of police, stationed closer to the port's main gate, protesters were halted. Some attempted to push through, aiming to reach the port where the Maersk Nexoe is set to dock. The vessel believed to be part of a controversial transshipment of US military equipment to Israel, but were repelled by security forces.

Several dockworkers at the port had already heeded a rare call by Morocco's two largest labour unions, the UMT and the CDT, to boycott the ship, potentially disrupting its operations.

"We expected this blockade. In recent days, it has become almost impossible to protest in cities like Agadir and Meknes. Authorities are deploying every tool at their disposal to silence us," Sion Asidon, a veteran activist and founder of the Moroccan branch of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, told The New Arab.

Asidon was referring to a student protest planned in Meknes earlier this week, where university gates were shut for three consecutive days to prevent a pro-Palestine event organised by a student union.

Despite the heavy police presence in Casablanca, Friday's protest remained peaceful, lasting over two hours. The focus was the Maersk Nexoe, which, according to Vessel Finder, was set to dock in the city's port at the time.

Reports by Irish outlet The Ditch and UK Declassified have alleged that Maersk is playing a key role in facilitating the delivery of F-35 parts to Israel.

The components, reportedly initially loaded aboard the US-flagged Maersk Detroit in Houston, are believed to be en route to Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel, a critical site for the Israeli Air Force’s campaign over Gaza.

According to the investigative reports and pro-Palestine groups, the Detroit is scheduled to dock in Tangier on 20 April, where it would offload its cargo onto the Nexoe for onward shipment to Haifa. Neither Maersk nor Moroccan authorities have confirmed the contents of the cargo.

A source at Tangier Med Port told Hespress, a media outlet close to the government, that they were "not aware of the contents of containers being shipped through global ports or those arriving as part of temporary stops".

Activists with BDS Morocco, MaskOff Maersk, and the Palestinian Youth Movement believe the ship is carrying a bulk shipment of "surface analysers", devices used for spot repairs on damaged F-35s — equipment deemed critical to maintaining the jets currently deployed by Israel to bomb Gaza.

"Roughly every ten days, one of these F-35s breaks down and needs repairs to return to service," explained Asidon.  

"A sea shipment in a full container implies a large volume of this essential equipment, a delivery that could significantly bolster Israel's ongoing assault."

Maersk, when contacted earlier this month by local media, confirmed it was transporting F-35 components but claimed the shipment was not intended for Israel, rather for other participants in the joint fighter jet programme.

The company did not respond to a clarification request from The New Arab by the time of publication.

Previously, Maersk denied transporting arms or ammunition to Israel, though it acknowledged handling US government cargo and confirmed that its policy does not prohibit the transport of military-related goods.

At Friday's protest, demonstrators held placards urging Moroccan authorities to respect "the will of the people" and block the ship, warning against complicity in a genocide that has claimed the lives of over 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

They also expressed solidarity with the Yemenis, whose attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes have disrupted Israeli-linked trade, and praised Moroccan dockworkers for "their refusal to assist the vessel".

"It's shameful that after more than a year of genocide and near-weekly protests across Morocco, the government still refuses to listen its people," Khadija Ryadi, a long-time pro-Palestine activist, told The New Arab.

Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, Moroccan opposition to Israel and to Rabat’s diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv has reached unprecedented levels.

Weekly demonstrations have erupted in cities including Rabat, Casablanca and Tangier, with calls to sever all military, commercial and political relations with Israel.

Morocco normalised relations with Israel in late 2020 under a US-brokered deal. Though ties have cooled since the Gaza war began, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed last year that normalisation remains in place, insisting that engagement with Israel does not amount to an endorsement of its policies.

While Morocco's parliament and senior officials have condemned the war and called for an immediate ceasefire, activists continue to demand bolder measures, beginning with the closure of the Israeli liaison office in Rabat.

On Sunday, 20 April, the protest will move north to Tangier, where activists are planning another march to the port. The Maersk Detroit is expected to dock that day, and demonstrators hope to prevent what they believe to be a critical shipment from advancing towards Israel.