The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) is a Virginia state agency that administers pension plans, retirement savings plans, and other benefits to public employees. But instead of investing in companies that actually benefit Virginians and respect human rights, they have proactively chosen to invest in multinational corporations that have killed 60,000 Palestinians since October 2023 alone, not to mention millions of others in never-ending US wars all around the world. Their definition of “sound financial stewardship” is to invest over $300 million (over 21% of the overall VRS holdings) in companies that profit directly from war and genocide.
The VRS claims to be in interest of the people of Virginia, but, in reality a small group of decisionmakers force all Virginia public employees to profit from genocide and mass destruction against their will or input.
The VRS claims to be in interest of the people of Virginia, but, in reality a small group of decisionmakers force all Virginia public employees to profit from genocide and mass destruction against their will or input.
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Our futures do not have to be funded by weapons and war. The No Pensions for Genocide Campaign calls on the VRS to invest in life, not death and destruction. The blood of the Palestinian people is not to be traded with. The VRS can invest ethically and end its complicity in genocide. Take a stand today. Sign and share the petition: bit.ly/VRSdivest
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On August 20th, Virginians attended the VRS Investment Advisory Committee in Richmond to deliver the No Pensions for Genocide Petition. For over 3 weeks, several hundred emails have been sent to VRS board members, demanding they divest from war and genocide. At this meeting, they reported a net profit, increasing the value of the fund to a record high of $122.8 billion in market value. When presented with the petition, they treated the voices of Virginians as insignificant, and dismissively said they would take the petition “under advisement”. Further advisement would only convey what Virginians have already made clear: no profits over people. They reject VRS’s culture of generating profit without limit, and at a great cost to humanity.
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We demand the VRS
- Divest any direct holdings in weapons manufacturers and shipping companies that facilitate the genocide of the Palestinian people
- Revise the VRS investment policy to ensure that it does not invest in any companies that manufacture or ship weapons components.
Sign the petition today: bit.ly/VRSdivest (link in bio)
- Divest any direct holdings in weapons manufacturers and shipping companies that facilitate the genocide of the Palestinian people
- Revise the VRS investment policy to ensure that it does not invest in any companies that manufacture or ship weapons components.
Sign the petition today: bit.ly/VRSdivest (link in bio)
American Muslims for Palestine
[Petition] Tell The Virginia Retirement System (VRS): No Pensions for Genocide!
The VRS invests hundreds of millions of dollars of its total $1.4 billion directly in weapons and shipping companies that have been responsible for the genocide in Gaza. Join us as we demand VRS: No Pensions for Genocide!