International conflicts crises and are driving the demand for military equipment, which also benefits European and Swiss arms companies and weapons manufacturers. The Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12 multi-purpose aircraft is dropping bombs in Afghanistan, while Sig Sauer rifles manufactured in Switzerland arm Saudi soldiers. Despite existing legislation, such as the War Weapons Control Act in Germany and the War Material Act in Switzerland, which are supposed to approve or reject arms exports in accordance with international humanitarian law, military equipment and arms deliveries continue to find their way into war zones.
One way to take action against exports that violate international law is to initiate legal proceedings. The European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights is fighting against illegal exports of war weapons with urgent applications. If they don’t succeed, the European ports of Genoa, Marseille and Athens are often the last possibility to stop these exports. In Genoa, for example, the dockworkers' collective CALP has organised itself to prevent these deliveries of war material to war zones. The project ‘Port Blockades in the Mediterranean’ aims to investigate and document these movements in major European ports. It will follow initiatives in Athens, Genoa and Marseille, where such blockades are organised and carried out, and engage in exchange with the members of the dockworkers' collectives. The resulting film aims to highlight the struggle against arms deliveries and demonstrate their relevance for international human rights.