Dockworkers in Europe and beyond were staging strikes on Friday as part of an international campaign against arms shipments and to demand better working conditions, unions said.

Unions in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey and Morocco issued a joint call to demand an end to the wars in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza, and "an end to the militarization of ports." "Ports must not be used for the transport of weapons, ammunition, military equipment and troops," the statement said.

"Dockworkers do not work for war!" Organizers say more than 100 ports across multiple countries joined the protest movement that could affect port operations in parts of Europe, the Mediterranean region and North America.