About two dozen activists protesting Israel's military actions in Gaza braved the rain at the Port of Tampa on Saturday morning to try and prevent crews from offloading the Israeli cargo ship Zim Alabama.

The protest was part of a national pro-Palestinian movement called Block the Boat in which protesters try to stop local workers from offloading a cargo ship from Israel. Similar protests were held in Oakland, Calif., and Tacoma, Wash., last month with mixed results.

Saturday morning's protest was peaceful and mostly limited to protesters chanting and holding up signs. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office had a small presence at the scene.

Organizers of "Block the Boat Tampa said they aimed to show "solidarity with the people of Gaza and all of Palestine who have been displaced, wounded and killed." It called for "an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the siege of Gaza."

It was immediately clear whether the protest delayed the Local 1402 dockworkers from offloading the ship's cargo. The protesters said they planned to stay through the morning.

"We are trying to get the unions on board," protester Bailey Riley said. "We're working on that relationship right now. We're hoping they don't unload the ship today. But any delay is a delay. Even if it's an hour, that's a delay that matters."