Industrial Workers of the World

Thoughts on the Successful Picketing of the Israeli Zin Line Ship, Oakland, California Sunday, June 20, 2010

History was made Today.

Met together to flame the spark

struck by the Gaza Flotilla.

800 of us.

Long day to me. Up ready at a.m. 4:30

Copwatch Security crew swept into office gearing up.

Last minute hustling for rides to docks.

Wobbly universal-labeled drum carried by Copwatch car.

Down empty streets, past committed comrades stringing out along the road hiking Bart to the dock at Berth 58.

Dropped off across tracks from closest gate a

nd walked across to growing clustered pickets.

Sorting out.

Fellow workers Bruce and Donna

flying red/black flag.

Picket sign.

First forty formed a line at first gate.

Took back copwatch wobbly drum.

Drum beat

march to main gate,

numbers growing.

Wobbly Banner strung across wire fence

fellow workers down from Reno.

Fellow Workers with Security,

Steve and John waving wobbly flag.

6 am line swelled to hundreds.

main gate circle lengthening to fifty,

then seventy, then a hundred feet

as more marchers crowded in.

Cadenced couple hours with wobbly drum,

handed off to another on the line

beating out rhythm with his hands.

Kept cadencing with claves as crowded line grew.

More instruments appeared, saxaphone,

trumpet, more drums

Mixed with bullhorned chants

and passioned line responses.

Sound system set up

chanting down Apartheid Wall

powerful women pacing us

Sweet as song, strong as struggle

Third gate opened up.

Joined a third line forming moving, chanting, militant

No more cars got thro

First shift wouldn't cross our line.

Arbitrators checked our numbers

determined our show of strength, r

uled for shift and for full pay.

Two hours rest at wobbly hall

until Second Shift came on 4:30,

back down the line to repeat

the morning cops wearing thin

broke agreement no sound system

Missed their Father's Day?

tired morning pickets

mixed with late risers

marching on the crest of morning's victory

"Freedom for Palestine, Do not Cross the Picket Line!"

walking, chanting, drumming waiting for Arbitrators again

Finally heard the news As the Israeli ship was docking

that 2nd shift was cancelled Thanks to First Shift,

we'd won.

Kept the line going till 7:30 tho in case a 2nd shift late call.

then speeches and a final chant,

"An Injury to One Is An Injury To All"

In Struggle for the One Big Union

- fw sparrow x326388

sfgmb IWW