Italy: The Trade unions in Genoa refuse to load a Saudi ship, in protest against the war in Yemen

The Italian labour unions on refused, yesterday, to load two generators on a Saudi ship laden with weapons to protest against Yemen's war.

According to Reuters news agency, the weapons were loaded on the Bahri-Yanbu ship in the Belgian city of Antwerp, this month but were prevented from taking another shipment of weapons from the French port of Le Havre, following some activists’ protests.

The human rights campaigns’ organizers express that the weapons violate a UN treaty because they could be used against civilians in Yemen, where a Saudi-led alliance of pro-Iranian Houthis is fighting a war that has taken thousands of lives.

Reuters news agency added that the workers unions in Genoa tried to stop the ship from reaching Italy, but it docked just after dawn and was greeted by a small number of protesters gathered on the sidewalk, carrying banners reading "No War".

The workers refused to load two electrical generators on board and said that although they were registered for civilian use, they could be used for the Yemeni war instead.

In a statement, a trade unions’ leader stated: “We will not be part of what is happening to Yemen". The port officials confirmed the confiscation of the two generators on the sidewalk.

#Italy #Genoa #Saudi_ship #protest #war #Yemen