We are a coalition of Virginia residents, workers, and organizations demanding the Virginia Retirement System divest any direct holdings in 14 corporations that manufacture and supply  weapons to Israel to commit genocide against the Palestinian people. The full list of corporations is below.

This campaign is a part of the People’s Embargo for Palestine, an international movement for coordinated pressure on governments, corporations and institutions to stop arming Israel by enforcing embargoes on Israel.

The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) is the state agency that administers pension plans, retirement savings plans, and other benefits for state and local public employees in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

There are 840 state employers with over 850,000 employees enrolled in the VRS, including counties, school districts, colleges, libraries, and state agencies. You can search the list of employers here.

Among the assets that the VRS invests pensions into, approximately $300 million are in corporations who manufacture and supply weapons and weapons components. These are firms that participate and profit off Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.

While Virginians want their pensions and tax dollars to benefit the community, the VRS instead elects to use workers’ hard-earned money to invest in weapons manufacturing companies that are responsible for destroying Palestinian lives.

All people deserve assurance that their retirement investments are not only secure, but also aligned with their values in opposition to war and genocide. The VRS claims to be in the interest of the people of Virginia, but in reality a small group of decision makers place profit over people with no input from working Virginians.

1. The Virginia Retirement System must divest any direct holdings in weapons manufacturers and shipping companies that facilitate the genocide of the Palestinian people.

2. The Virginia Retirement System must revise its investment policy to ensure that it does not invest in any company that manufactures or ships weapons or weapons components.

1. Sign the petition and stay in the loop with the campaign by following the Instagram.

2. Spread the word about the campaign using the flyers provided on our Outreach page.

3. Organizations can endorse the campaign by filling out the form here.

1. AP MOLLER - MAERSK A/S

2. BAE SYSTEMS PLC

3. BOEING CO/THE

4. GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP

5. HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC

6. LEONARDO SPA

7. LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP

8. L3HARRIS

9. NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP

10. ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC

11. RTX CORP

12. TEXTRON INC

13. THYSSENKRUPP AG

14. WOODWARD INC