During the October 20, 2025 State Board of Investment (SBI) meeting, the Anti- War Committee held a sit-in at the SBI offices, accompanied by a rally outside. We did this to protest the Board's investment of Minnesota public funds and public employee pensions in Israel's horrific crimes against Palestinians, as well as their decision to once again shut out the public and hold their meeting over Zoom.

We brought the following demands to the offices of the SBI: 1) That the Board immediately divest from Israeli bonds, 2) create a task force to investigate the risk associated with Minnesota's investment ties to companies complicit in Israel's crimes, and 3) commit to holding future meetings publicly in person.

The sit-in and the rally outside continued until 4:30 PM, when state troopers arrested the eleven activists inside and took them to Ramsey County jail. They were booked and held for hours, and the support rally relocated outside the jail to demand their release. While nine were released around midnight, two were arbitrarily held overnight. They appeared in court the following morning, where a judge ordered their immediate release after prosecutors failed to justify their continued detention.

Not only has the SBI ignored the growing demand for divestment among Minnesotans and pension holders, but they also refused to acknowledge the protest as it was happening, despite it being brought to their attention by community members during the board‘s zoom meeting. Rather than listen to the concerns of their constituents, they continuously choose to create barriers so that they do not have to directly confront this issue. 

When asked by the Twin Cities Pioneer press why meetings are not being held in person, SBI members blame political violence, the Hortman assassinations in particular, as their reasoning, in addition to some comments about capital complex construction. Community members question this reasoning because cancellations, delays and Zoom meetings have already been happening since December 2024, well before the assassinations in June 2025.

We are undettered by the arrests. Minnesota’s fight for divestment from genocidal, apartheid Israel continues! Thank you to all who attended the rallies and called in to demand the release of our members. Stay tuned for more updates on the future of the campaign as we make it clear: WE AIN'T GOING NOWHERE!

We will not stop! We will not rest! Until the SBI divests!

Op ed written by MN Labor for Palestine.  Minnesota Labor for Palestine describes itself as a grassroots coalition of union and non-union members based in working class solidarity with Palestine.

https://form.jotform.com/240336815420146

We support Women Against Military Madness' campaign to get the city of St. Paul to cut its contract with Waterfall Security. Waterfall is an Israeli company which profits from apartheid and does business with with Israeli military which is committing genocide. This campaign is a part of the international BDS movement.

The Anti War Committee's main campaign is to pressure the State Board of Investment to divest from Israeli companies and bonds and from companies that profit off of Israel's apartheid and genocide. These are the latest numbers from the State Board of Investment’s December 2024 Asset Listing. Posted June 2025

The Anti War Committee has a long history of solidarity with local black liberation movements, which has solidified through the local police accountability and BLM movements active around Ferguson, Jamar Clark's murder in north Minneapolis, the George Floyd protests and more.  Member Khrys Wetzel speaks to this in a speech given in June 2025.

The Free Palestine Coalition, which the Anti-War Committee is a part of, is leading a campaign to get the Minneapolis City Council to divest from Israel and to break their contract with ZenCity.  

Link to the Talking Points from the Free Palestine Coalition

In October 2021, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz outlawed six leading Palestinian human rights groups, labeling them “terrorist organizations” and accusing them of serving as fronts for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Gantz’s executive order criminalized Al-Haq, Addameer, Bisan Center, Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Union for Agricultural Work Committees, and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees. No trials were held, nor were these groups given the opportunity to respond to the accusations against them. These six groups do essential advocacy work and provide critical assistance to Palestinian civil society. The Anti-War Committee has seen some of their work firsthand. This attack on Palestinian civil society organizations is significant and how US aid to Israel encourages these attacks.

The webinar featured Husam Marajda, co chair of the Chicago chapter of US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and Meredith Aby-Keirstead, member of the Anti-War Committee - November 18, 2022.