New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed his support for the global strike by port workers on Friday, held in protest against the use of ports for the transport of weapons and materials for war. In a post on X, Mamdani wrote that port workers across 113 ports in 22 countries have gone on strike—in solidarity with the Palestinian people—to disrupt the shipment of weaponry intended for war. He affirmed that the people of New York stand with them, adding, “When working people unite and harness their collective power, we build a better world.”
Port workers refuse to facilitate war. According to the news agency Reuters, the strike has disrupted shipping and ferry services. In addition to demanding better wages and improved working conditions, the strikers are calling for the presence of medical personnel on vessels passing through conflict zones. Speaking to Reuters at the port of Piraeus in Greece on Friday, Apostolos Kipraios, head of the Greek Merchant Marine Engineers Union, stated, “We will not work for their wars, nor will we become fodder for their cannon shells.”
