Despite being a progressive city, San Francisco invests millions of dollars in corporations that are complicit in the genocide and apartheid of the Palestinian people, facilitates ICE in the kidnapping of our immigrant community, and furthers the climate crisis. In January 2024, San Francisco was a leading voice in passing a ceasefire measure to demand an end to Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians and the US’s role in contributing to the death toll of Gazans, which now officially stands at 70,000. Yet, the City and County of San Francisco continues to invest in well-known corporations that facilitate the genocide and apartheid of Palestinians and the over-militarization of our city streets. These investments are managed under a “socially responsible” policy that already discourages investments in tobacco, firearms, and the Dakota Access Pipeline, but remains silent on genocide, apartheid, and immigrant detention. As San Franciscans, we think there is nothing “socially responsible” about investing in war, militarization, and climate destruction.
The central goal is to amend San Francisco’s socially responsible investment policy to discourage investments in companies collaborating in the genocide in Gaza, the ongoing occupation and apartheid in Palestine, and increased repression of our immigrant community by ICE and DHS. Right now, our city invests in Caterpillar, a corporation that has been instrumental in the systematic destruction of Palestinian homes, schools, and communities in Gaza and the West Bank. As of early 2025, San Francisco invested over $140 million in Caterpillar. We demand that the City starts by divesting from Caterpillar.
Our neighbors in Alameda County have already divested $32 million from Caterpillar. Other cities such as St. Louis, Missouri and Somerville, Massachusetts have followed suit and recently the state of Washington has done the same. These campaigns were powered by everyday people. Let’s show the world that San Franciscans refuse to be complicit in using our tax dollars to fuel corporations that perpetuate war crimes and state violence.
Sign the petition to tell the City and County of San Francisco: NO to genocide, NO to ICE, and NO to fueling the climate crisis!