Minnesota stands firm for divestment from Israel
St. Paul, MN – On August 10, hundreds of people gathered outside the Minnesota State Capitol to demand that the State Board of Investment, chaired by Governor Tim Walz, divest public funds from institutions complicit in Israel’s ongoing genocide and apartheid in Palestine.
The State Board of Investment is the government institution that manages the state's financial assets, including the pension funds of public sector workers, such as public school teachers. The board has invested approximately $4.3 billion of taxpayer money in companies directly participating in Israel's crimes against humanity.
Saturday’s protest was organized by the MN Anti-War Committee to show public support for divestment from Israel, days before the Wednesday meeting of State Board of Investment.
The State Board of Investment’s chairman, Governor Tim Walz, was recently chosen by Kamala Harris to be her running mate in the presidential election. Meredith Aby spoke at the protest, saying, “Walz is now the focus of international attention. The Harris/Walz campaign has so far been vague – they have separated themselves from Biden but they have not taken the stance they need on the genocide.” Aby encouraged the crowd to pressure the Democratic Party to take a stand against U.S. support for Israel and said the MN Anti-War Committee was taking two buses of Minnesotans to protest the DNC in Chicago on August 19.
The rally featured speakers from American Muslims for Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, MN Workers United, Healthcare Workers for Palestine, and the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee.
Protesters were invited to join the Free Palestine Coalition on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the State Board of Investment meeting to listen to community members and public workers testify against the investment of pensions in apartheid Israel.