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Protesting TIAA-CREF July 17, 2012Bay Area CODEPINK San Francisco, CA | ||
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While TIAA-CREF held their annual meeting in NYC, Jewish Voice for Peace - Bay Area led a protest outside of the San Francisco office of the College Retirement Equities Fund, or TIAA-CREF. Local allies with the We Divest Coalition, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, CODEPINK, and Global Exchange joined the action. We gathered to protest TIAA-CREFs investment in companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine, including Caterpillar, Northrop Grumman, Veolia, Elbit, Motorola Solutions, and Hewlett-Packard. On the heels of a significant victory in pressuring TIAA-CREF to pull some of its funds from Caterpillar, we joined in solidarity with those confronting TIAA-CREF at their annual meeting in New York to call for further divestment. Together, we called for an end to the gross violation of human rights happening in Palestine and for companies to stop profiting from the Israeli occupation and colonization. We chanted and sang songs re-written by Dave Lippman, who was visiting from Adalah, NY, to the tune of many old favorites, such as "YMCA" and "This Land is Your Land." After an hour of checking Twitter for live tweets on the NYC meeting, we learned that TIAA-CREF CEO Roger Ferguson "agreed to report to ethical investment ratings agency MSCI concerning the companies discussed during the meeting, which included not only ones profiting from the Israeli occupation, but also Nike, Coca-Cola, and private healthcare companies such as Aetna and Cigna." (From Press Release) While TIAA-CREF has not yet divested, it is clear that our voices are being heard and the movement for boycott and divestment from occupation continues to grow. "This Land is Your Land" This plan is your plan, this plan is my plan When we stop working, we'll have our pension We make smart choices For the greater good So let's divest from apartheid I said to T-CREF These are my investments I want to make them ethical and peaceful Don't wanta invest in Hostile takeovers This plan was made for you and me As I studied my holdings and my percentage points I saw below me support for checkpoints I saw beside me mass expulsions This plan must be changed by you and me I've roamed and rambled and followed the research From uprooted orchards to Apache choppers And all around me a voice was sounding Divest from settler colonies This plan is your plan, this plan is my plan No room for violence or occupation For peaceful retirement There's one requirement T-Cref, divest for you and me As I went walking I saw a high wall With hi-tech equipment from Elbit Systems And house demolitions by Caterpillar These stocks weren't made for you and me In the midst of a city I saw a light rail Built by Veolia to make the peace fail You can't seize the capitol of another people This stock's not made for you and me As I go marchin I'm singin' and strummin' 'Bout assaults on civilians By Northrup Grumman Military surveillance by Motorola This portfolio's not made for you and me This plan is your plan, this plan is my plan From the hospital corridor to the college campus We're choosing equities, not inequities T-CREF, divest for you and me As I was driving I saw a sign there And that sign said settlers only But on the other side it spoke of justice That side belongs to you and me When I choose an annuity Don't want incongruity Cause I'm gonna hold it In perpetuity No ambiguity, simply ingenuity T-CREF, divest from apartheid This plan is your plan, this plan is my plan When we stop working, we'll have our pension We make smart choices For the greater good So let's divest from apartheid (Lyrics: Dave Lippman; Music: Woody Guthrie) Related News Article: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jewishvoiceforpeace/sets/72157630627362924/ |
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