Islam Times - 'Israel should taste own medicine of shipment blockade'

Islam Times - An interview with Paul Larudee, co-founder of the Free Palestine Movement from Berkeley, about American protesters gathering at the Port of Oakland to prevent an Israeli ship from unloading its cargo.

Q: What can you tell us about this movement about these protesters, who they are and what their ultimate goal is?

Larudee: The protesters are various groups throughout the Bay area which some of whom have national affiliations as well.

It is a wide coalition and the objective of the committee is to prevent Israeli ships from being unloaded or loaded basically to not have port services in the United States.

Q: It seems like the longshoremen is a little bit scared as well. They seem, like, the confrontation, they are scared that it is going to escalate between the police and demonstrators that they start unloading the cargo. Is that true?

Larudee: The longshore workers have a long tradition which includes problems with the police.

They do not get along well with the police. They feel that the police and law enforcement have actually not been their friends.

So the presence of police in the port to them is a sign that they may be in danger.

Q: How long do the demonstrators plan on carrying these protests on?

Larudee: We plan just like last time to continue until the ship leaves without successfully unloading its cargo or loading any cargo.

We want Israel to pay the same price that Gaza is paying because Israel is preventing shipment of anything into or out of Gaza port. Well, we want to try to give them a taste of their own medicine.