“Destroying shelter is a crime, from Gainesville to Palestine!” activists chanted while beating drums and holding cardboard signs above their heads.
Representatives from more than 60 local organizations gathered Thursday on the steps of Gainesville’s City Hall, demanding the city divest from weapons corporations supporting the Israeli Defense Force as the war in Gaza intensifies.
Pro-Palestinian activists have been stewing since the City of Gainesville rejected initial demands for corporate divestment in November 2023. Organizations, including Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, led a months-long pressure campaign for divestiture.
On July 9, the Alachua County Commission divested from all corporations. Initially celebrated by protestors, the county’s decision is now fanning the flames of existing conflict between city officials and pro-Palestinian constituents.
Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker supported city-wide corporate divestment during a commission meeting Aug. 15. None of her colleagues seconded the motion.
At the Sep. 5 commission meeting, public commenters insisted the city reshuffle its investment plan to reduce risk associated with volatile stocks. They specified the city should divest from weapons and technology companies including Nvidia and Caterpillar.
Mayor Harvey Ward remained committed to abiding by Florida’s anti-ESG laws, which restrict environmental, social and governance factors from influencing investment decisions at the local and state level. Activists said they see Ward’s justification for resisting divestment as an excuse.
Laura Rivera, 33, stood alongside protestors outside City Hall at noon, wearing a bright red Party for Socialism and Liberation shirt, an organization she recently joined.
Rivera said she and PSL firmly believe in the power of local grassroots activism.
“The more we organize and the more gathered [we are], the more people are inclined to listen,” she said.
Fellow protestor Quinnton Cooper, 27, said he worries about the city’s allocation of tax dollars and would feel more comfortable if funds were invested in federal treasury notes and bonds.
“It's politically neutral,” he said. “It's something that the people desire.”
Cooper, a United Campus Workers of UF representative, doesn’t believe public demonstrations alone will convince the city to take action, but they can draw necessary attention to the cause.
At 1 p.m., activists, many of whom delivered public comments, packed into the city commission’s meeting chamber. Frustrated constituents directed their ire at commissioners and hurled insults at the mayor, suggesting he has been derelict in his duty to champion the best interests of his community.
Mayor Ward defended his position and said that while Alachua County withdrew its capital from corporate holdings, “the law is pretty clear.” Florida House Bill 3 prohibits state and local governments from making ideologically-motivated investment decisions.
Amos Laor, a 37-year-old Israeli-American lawyer, said despite his cultural ties to Israel, he sees the war in Gaza as unconscionable and supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
Laor said he’s unfamiliar with the specifics of Florida law, but he believes the commission must find a way to circumvent HB3 and divest.
“The city commission should represent the people of Gainesville,” he said. “It's the responsibility of the commission to find the legal path to do what the people want.”
Shirley Roseman, a 35-year-old trauma therapist, said she was more than disappointed with Ward's response to public comments. She said he was “dismissive and disturbingly rude, considering the compassion and kindness and time people gave to him.”
“He needs to change his mind, and we're not going to,” she added. “But we're not going to stop.”
Contact Natalie Kaufman at nkaufman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @Nat_Kauf.
Natalie Kaufman is a sophomore journalism student and the Alligator's Fall 2024 Metro General Assignment reporter. In her free time, she likes drinking copious amounts of caffeine and running.
