Pro-Palestinian activists urge British fund to divest from firms complicit in Israel’s crimes
Palestine supporters in Manchester demonstrated outside a meeting of pension fund managers day, calling on trustees to withdraw investments from firms complicit in Israel’s suppression of Palestinians.
The Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GPMF) handles the pensions and contributions of hundreds of thousands of council workers.
The UN has urged investment organisations to divest from firms complicit in Israeli suppression and denial of human rights of Palestinians.
Anne Webster, of Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Unison, is a member of the pension fund.
She said: “GMPF prides itself on its responsible and ethical investment practises and has won awards, so we are joining with the United Nations in asking it to divest from the seven companies in their portfolio on the UN database.
“We are calling on GMPF to show its ethical policies mean something and to divest now.”
The demonstration was supported by the North West region of public service union Unison and by Unite.