Pro-Palestinian protesters in Australia prevent Israeli cargo ship from docking at Sydney port

ANKARA

Hundreds of Australians on Saturday staged a protest demonstration against an Israeli cargo ship and prevented it from docking at Sydney's Port Botany, claiming that the international company transports weapons to Israel.

Protesters who gathered at the port claimed that they had forced the Israeli ship to reschedule its arrival.

Pro-Palestinian protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted from the shore, while others yelled from jet skis on the water where the ship Contship Dax, owned by Israeli company ZIM, was due to arrive at midday, ABC News reported.

The Palestine Justice Movement for Sydney and Trade Unionists for Palestine, the protest organizers, declared the demonstration to be the "first step of the campaign against the Israeli shipping line ZIM."

Speaking to the protestors, Paddy Gibson of Trade Unionists for Palestine vowed to financially harm Israel.

"They're in every port of the world, which means we can fight them in every port of the world and bring them to their knees," Gibson was quoted by the broadcaster as saying, adding, "Start hitting them economically where it hurts."

Earlier, clashes erupted between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters on Friday night in Melbourne, the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, following suspected arson at a pro-Palestinian burger shop.

Fighting broke out near the burger store between the protesters, and police used pepper spray to disperse them, SBS television reported.

At least one person got minor injuries after being hit by a rock, while one man was pepper-sprayed and removed from the area, according to the broadcaster.

Hash Tayeh, the burger chain's founder, called the fire a hate crime after attending a pro-Palestinian rally.

"Two weeks ago, we started receiving threats," Tayeh said, according to the broadcaster.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid