Denmark: Siltanews – News Desk
Around 30 activists from the Dutch group Geef Tegengas blocked the lobby of Maersk’s Rotterdam office on Wednesday morning, demanding that the company halt the transport of weapons to and from Israel. They join an international campaign under the name “Mask off Maersk.”
The demonstrators chained themselves to the building’s access gates and created noise to “disrupt Maersk’s activities and make their presence known,” said spokesperson Sterre van de Berg. Despite the protest, Maersk employees were still able to enter the building. The Dutch activist group said it would remain in place “until Maersk stops transporting weapons to and from Israel.” It is unclear how long the protest will continue.
Just a day earlier, Greta Thunberg led a climate protest at Maersk Tankers’ Copenhagen office as part of the “Mask Off Maersk” campaign, which is scheduled to include a series of actions across Europe over the next 10 days, focusing on Maersk’s alleged role in the climate crisis and Israel’s war crimes.
Nieuwsblad Transport, a sister publication of World Cargo News, reported that Maersk spokesperson Rainer Horn declined to comment on the Rotterdam protest directly but pointed to a statement from March, following similar protests in Denmark.
As reported by World Cargo News at the time, Maersk stated that its operations adhered to international standards, including the UN Global Compact and OECD guidelines, and that it did not ship weapons or ammunition to active conflict zones.
The company also noted it had strengthened cargo checks since the Israel–Hamas war began, adding that its US subsidiary, Maersk Line Limited, had never transported classified or sensitive military cargo to Israel.
The “Mask Off Maersk” campaign, supported by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), claims the company has been involved in transporting F-35 supply chain equipment and other military materials, sourced from Lockheed Martin’s US Air Force Plant 4 in Fort Worth, Texas, to Negev’s Nevatim Air Base, where the Israeli Air Force operates its fleet.
The base is reportedly involved in military operations against Palestinians in Gaza and other Arab regions.
Lockheed Martin’s facility is a key contractor in the global consortium producing F-35 jets, while Negev handles the supply chain and maintenance of Israeli F-35I aircraft.