Activists today renewed their call for the managers of the state's employee pension funds to sell off stocks and bonds they believe support Israel's military actions against Palestinians in Gaza.
"Michael Frerichs, you can't hide! You fund genocide!" chanted more than two dozen people outside the Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle St, ahead of Monday's scheduled meeting of the Illinois State Board of Investment.
Frerichs is the state's treasurer and also the vice-chair of the Board, which manages Illinois' investments that fund pension payments for more than 180,000 beneficiaries.
Leaders of groups including the U.S. Palestinian Community Network criticized the Board's decisions, claiming that its strategy of owning stock in defense contractors including Northrop Grumman and Boeing - and buying Israeli-issued government bonds - is prolonging the suffering of innocent Palestinian people in Gaza.
The Board does not disclose its specific holdings in individual companies. We've asked Frerichs' office for a comment.