Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Tangier on Sunday, denouncing the alleged arrival of a cargo ship suspected of carrying military aircraft parts destined for Israel. The protest, part of a growing wave of anti-normalisation sentiment in Morocco, was held near the Tanger Med container port and attracted around 1,500 people, according to local organisers.

Chanting “No genocidal weapons in Moroccan waters” and “The people demand the ban of the ship,” the demonstrators expressed outrage over reports that a Maersk vessel, said to be transporting F-35 aircraft components from the United States to occupied Palestine, was scheduled to dock in Casablanca and Tangier. Port authorities and Maersk have remained silent on the matter.

The protests, led by pro-Palestinian groups and port workers’ unions, reflect mounting public anger over Morocco’s involvement—direct or indirect—in the Israeli war effort. Protesters warned against transforming Moroccan ports into a logistical bridge for the massacre of Palestinians, as Israel’s war on Gaza continues to devastate the population.

The Danish shipping giant previously claimed it enforces a strict policy against transporting weapons to active conflict zones. However, demonstrators remain unconvinced, citing calls from global legal and political figures urging scrutiny of Maersk’s role in the arms trade.

The protests also reignited demands to reverse Morocco’s 2020 normalisation deal with Israel, a controversial pact made in exchange for US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. Since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, mass demonstrations across Moroccan cities have repeatedly called for an end to this normalisation and full solidarity with the Palestinian people.