ROME: In solidarity with the Palestinian people, dockworkers in the Italian port of Livorno refused to load weapons on a cargo ship after discovering that they were headed for Israel.

鈥淲e鈥檝e decided to say enough,鈥� Giovanni Ceraolo, coordinator of the Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), an independent trade union organization representing workers in the main commercial port of Tuscany in northern Italy, told Arab News.

鈥淲henever we know about loading, unloading or passage of armaments in our port, we鈥檒l intervene. We鈥檒l ask the competent authorities to stop the passage of those weapons, especially if they鈥檙e bound for places where they鈥檒l certainly be used against civilians, as is happening now in Palestine,鈥� he added. 鈥淚f those weapons still come, we鈥檒l do whatever we can to refuse loading or unloading them.鈥�

The trade unionist said if necessary, his organization will declare a strike 鈥渟o that no weapons in transit in the port of Livorno will be used to kill civilians, wherever this happens.鈥�

He added: 鈥淚t could be costly for us as we鈥檇 lose part of our salary, but no salary justifies aiding in any way those who kill civilians.鈥�

USB member Massimo Mazza told Arab News: 鈥淲e refused to load that ship because we don鈥檛 want to operate on ships carrying death. We don鈥檛 want to be called accomplices in giving weapons to those who are killing unarmed civilians, as Israel is doing now.鈥�

He added: 鈥淲e have no intention to facilitate the transportation of weapons and explosives that will be used to kill the Palestinian people, who are suffering so much and mourn hundreds of innocent civilian victims, including many children.鈥�

The USB in Livorno has launched an awareness campaign so that workers do not load weapons on ships bound for war zones.

鈥淲ork is important, especially in the very difficult times we鈥檝e been living through with the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis. But this can鈥檛 make us close our eyes, or even worse, become accomplices in the continuing massacres of the civilian population in Palestine,鈥� Ceraolo said.