Canada's most prestigious literary prize was awarded on November 18 amid controversy. The Giller Prize ceremony is normally broadcast live on CBC, but this year, it was pre-recorded. This was not for technical reasons, however, but rather because protesters had disrupted the ceremony the previous year. They demanded that the bank withdraw its investments from Elbit System, Israel's largest arms producer.
The actions targeting the literary prize have grown out of a wider campaign against Scotiabank to condemn its $500 million investment in Elbit Systems. Scotiabank is the largest foreign investor in Elbit.
This massive investment, beginning in October 2022, sparked outrage with many activists who were aware of the history of Elbit Systems' weapons being “battle-tested" on Palestinians, Lebanese and Syrians. In response to pressure from the campaign, Scotiabank has incrementally divested from Elbit Systems, selling off shares in each quarter of 2024, down to $112 million according to the most recent Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
The Canada Palestine Association launched the campaign against Scotiabank officially in June 2023. Since then, their coordination led to actions picketing 18 of the bank's branches on March 15 and 35 branches on June 25 and shut down multiple branches in the Lower Mainland of B.C. on October 2.
The campaign has called for people to move their savings and close their Scotiabank accounts to protest the bank's war profiteering. “I think that it is the most minor thing we can do is be mindful of our economic binds that are directly involved in the ongoing genocide in Palestine” said Emily Fedoruk, host of the “No Arms in the Arts: People's Tour” book club event. (more...)
Authors Demand Giller Prize Sever Partnership With Scotiabank
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