St. Paul – On February 29, dozens of Palestine solidarity protesters packed into the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI)’s first quarterly meeting of the year to demand divestment from apartheid Israel.

The board heard testimony from a series of pensioners, workers and solidarity activists who chastised the SBI for its investments that enable Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza and its system of apartheid and occupation across Palestine.

The SBI manages $138.2 billion in assets, largely pension funds for public employees, including the Minnesota State Retirement System, Public Employees Retirement Association, and Teachers Retirement Association funds. Protesters highlighted that over $3 billion worth of investments are in weapons manufacturers like Elbit Systems and Lockheed Martin, which make the equipment used by the Israel to kill Palestinians; banks that fund illegal settlements; Israel Bonds, which directly finance the State of Israel; and a list of companies found to be enabling or profiting from Israel’s crimes. The criteria mirrored that used by the SBI in 1985, when it began a sweeping initiative of divestments from companies that helped prop up apartheid South Africa.

The SBI members are Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, State Auditor Julie Blaha and Secretary of State Steve Simon.

“I would rather than have no pension at all than to have my money contribute to your genocide,” Stephen Vizenor, a Minneapolis parks worker with LiUNA Local 363 and tribal member of the White Earth Nation, told the SBI. “The blood of Palestinians is on your hands, and you’ve been spreading it to every single public employee’s hands by investing our pensions in Zionism.”

Deb Konechne, a public health nurse and union activist with AFSCME Local 34 and Minnesota Workers United, also testified before the board. “When I started at Hennepin County 13 years ago, I was so happy to get a job that provides a pension,” she said. “Now I’m ashamed to find out that my pension is made up of blood money.”

“Do any of you have any humanity?” Samantha Alsadi of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee asked the SBI. “While you were sleeping last night, over 100 Palestinians were murdered and over 1000 were injured by Israeli occupation forces when they were trying to get flour. I truly have no idea how you all sleep at night.”

Alsadi, who is Palestinian-American, added: “You are complicit in murdering my relatives.”

Jess Sundin, a retired University of Minnesota clerical worker with an SBI-managed pension, spoke at a press conference held by the AWC after the board meeting. “We’re here because people in Gaza shouldn’t starve so that we can eat,” Sundin said. “People in Gaza shouldn’t lose their homes so that I can pay my mortgage. This isn’t right.”

The night before the SBI meeting, 14 protesters were arrested during a civil disobedience action as they occupied the property of the governor’s residence for over two hours in freezing temperatures to demand divestment.

As of press time, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, the number of Palestinians killed by Israel since October had surpassed 30,000.

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St. Paul, MN – On February 28, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee organized a protest at the Eastcliff Mansion, where Governor Tim Walz currently resides. On the eve of the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) meeting, a crowd of over 100 people rallied to demand that the Minnesota governor, also the chair of the SBI, divest from apartheid Israel and weapons manufacturers.

Speakers addressed how their specific struggles relate to the state investments in Israeli apartheid. Simultaneously, 14 people participated in civil disobedience on the governor's front lawn to demand that he meet with his constituents and promise to divest.

The Minnesota State Board of Investments has $3.2 billion invested in Israeli entities and corporations complicit in Israeli apartheid. This includes weapons manufacturing companies, pharmaceutical companies, the tourism industry, heavy machinery companies and even investing $25 million in bonds directly into the Zionist state of Israel. Some of these companies, such as Elbit systems and Boeing, make cluster bombs and surveillance technology. Others, such as Caterpillar, produce armored bulldozers that are used to collapse the homes of Palestinians. The Minnesota State Board of Investments has been a political target of the Palestine solidarity movement for years.

Since the issue of funding Israel affects all Minnesota tax-payers, divestment is a unifying demand to organize around. Members of Students for a Democratic Society, AFSCME 3800, FLAGS-JP, American Muslims for Palestine, and MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee spoke at the protest.

Jasper Nordin from Students for a Democratic Society explained, “We refuse any longer to be complicit in Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people! We will not allow you, Tim Walz, to continue to use our money to carry out this slaughter. We will not relent, we will not stop showing up until you listen to the people of Minnesota and you end Minnesota’s complicity in this genocide!”

As the death toll in Gaza increases every single day, the demand to divest from Israel becomes more urgent. Additionally, as the Anti-War Committee and many other organizations have been targeting Governor Walz with no response, they saw a need for more escalation. After the first speaker, , a group of 14 activists jumped the fence and began occupying the lawn of the Eastcliff mansion, risking arrest. The activists were accompanied by bloody child-sized body bags, red poppies, and a large check stating the amount Tim Walz has “made out” to Israel.

As the rally and speeches continued, the activists remained on the lawn, at times getting on the microphone and demanding that Walz “come out and face them,” drawing attention to their demands for the chair of the SBI to divest. Many state troopers and security officers came and stationed themselves right next to the activists, preventing them, some with hostility, from moving closer towards the house.

One of the arrestees, Lina Jebara from the Anti-War Committee stated, “If Governor Walz, the chair of the board, sees issue with anti-apartheid activist sitting in close proximity to his temporary home, perhaps he can find issue with the apartheid regime slaughtering thousands of refugees in their displacement camps. As Israel’s genocidal campaign on the people of Palestine is allowed to escalate, we will also continue to escalate.”

After two-and-a-half very cold hours, the 14 activists were publicly arrested with the support of chants and drums coming from observers and attendees.

The Anti-War Committee showed up to the State Board of Investment meeting the next day and plans to continue a campaign to target the board and demand for divestment from apartheid Israel.

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