Organizers in Alameda County, CA, scored a BDS victory in December when the Board of Supervisors voted to develop an ethical investment policy that could divest tens of millions of dollars from companies profiting off Israeli genocide and apartheid.
The County Treasurer, who is an independent elected official, also announced that he had already dropped $12 million in bonds in Caterpillar (CAT), which directly profits from Israeli apartheid and the ongoing genocide, after sustained organizing from county residents and organizations requesting him to do so. He further pledged to dump the county’s remaining CAT bond, worth $20 million.
This vote comes after months of grassroots organizing and pressure, including from many organizers with Bay Area Divest! (BAD!) and the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America’s (EBDSA) “Divest from Apartheid” campaign.
“Organizing local governments to divest from Israeli apartheid and genocide is our chapter’s top priority,” said Zach Weinstein, co-chair of EBDSA. “It’s been incredible to see the combined power of organized workers, faith communities, racial justice organizations, Palestinian and Arab-led groups, and Jewish anti-zionists to win this major victory for the Palestine solidarity movement in the US, even as state repression of that movement continues to escalate.” (more...)
Coalition of labor, community, and faith groups wins victory for the BDS movement in California
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