June 12, 2014

Dear BDS Supporter,

Victory!! Thanks to pressure from human rights activists, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has sold all $172 million dollars worth of its shares in the private security company G4S, the largest private military and security company in the world!

G4S installs and runs the security systems at Israeli jails and checkpoints. Human rights organizations have documented widespread torture occurring in Israeli prisons. On April 17, ahead of of Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, CODEPINK joined with Addameer Prisoner Support, Human Rights Association, War on Want, and over 100 Palestinian and international organizations, asking Bill Gates to divest from the British security company G4S. Thousands of people took action–– signing and delivering petitions and some protesting at a G4S shareholder meeting! 

With a personal wealth of $76 billion dollars, Bill Gates was just named the richest man in the world. He shouldn’t be investing in torture and human rights abuses! Thanks to your help, we’ve achieved an amazing victory for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement. Our collective work is really making a difference.

In solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners,
Alli, Ashley, Farah, Ikram, Janet, Jodie, Lisa, Medea, Nancy, Sara, Sergei, Tighe