Meanwhile, in California, hundreds of Bay Area peace activists have pulled off what organizers are calling a historic first in temporarily preventing an Israeli ship from unloading its goods. The activists began their action Sunday morning by forming a picket line at the Port of Oakland, where the ship was scheduled to dock.

Protester: “We want to send a clear message that if you commit acts of piracy on the high sea; if you go and attack civilians and kill them in cold blood, execution-style; if you put Gaza under siege; if you build an apartheid wall; we will not honor your Israeli commerce right here in this town.”

The activists were able to prevent the ship from unloading after the local longshoremen’s union refused to cross the picket line. They’re aiming to hold up the ship for twenty-four hours. The protest follows similar actions in countries including Sweden, Norway and South Africa.