ZIM shipping (file)
ZIM shipping (file)Flash 90

An Israeli-owned container ship that was blocked from unloading its cargo at the Port of Oakland by pro-Palestinian Arab protesters over the weekend was headed to Los Angeles on Monday, according to Reuters.

The Zim Shanghai left Oakland with its cargo still onboard on Sunday evening, according to the website marinetraffic.com. It was expected to arrive in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Some 200 people, angry over Israel's airstrikes in Gaza in response to Hamas rocket salvos, staged a protest of the Zim Shanghai at the Port of Oakland on Saturday morning and again that afternoon.

Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, saying they were threatened physically and their vehicles blocked as they tried to report to work, refused to unload the ship, according to Reuters.

"The ILWU is not among the groups organizing the protests and the leadership and membership of the ILWU have taken no position on the Israel/Gaza conflict," the union said in a written statement.

Representatives for Zim International Shipping Lines could not be reached for comment on Monday.

A spokeswoman for Block the Boat, which has organized protests of Zim ships at the Port of Oakland in the past, said the organization was not responsible for this weekend's demonstration. It was carried out by a loose group of individuals, she said.

The "Stop the ZIM" campaign has attempted to blockade Israeli goods in Seattle and Vancouver, Canada as well. A similar protest last month saw the Zim Piraeus leave for Los Angeles port with only a partial cargo.

The company, despite leftist claims, actually works with both Gaza and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to transport goods, and has partnered with companies ELAWA for Shipping and Trading Company and Petra Navigation Co., respectively.