The Richmond Free Press published an article covering the rally and press conference last week outside the VRS building in Richmond. The article covers why public sector workers are calling for the VRS to divest $300 million from weapons and logistics firms who fuel the genocide in Gaza, the violent arrest of a firefighter at the last VRS board meeting, and the work of the campaign to spread awareness of VRS' complicity. Read the rest of the article here: https://m.richmondfreepress.com/news/2025/nov/20/rally-calls-for-vrs-divestment-over-gaza/
👍1
This Christmas, we recommit to the call for a global arms embargo. The Virginia Retirement System invests $300 million of state pensions into corporations responsible for arming and supplying Israel’s genocide and endless wars. As Virginian workers and taxpayers, we demand a say in how public money is spent. And the bare minimum is that our money should go to better our communities, not destroy them here and abroad.
Sign the petition and add your voice to thousands demanding divestment: vrsdivest.org
Sign the petition and add your voice to thousands demanding divestment: vrsdivest.org
❤2
In:
- Democratic and transparent pensions
- Listening to VRS members and VA residents
Out:
- Investing in war and genocide
- Ignoring input from workers about where their hard earned money goes
Sign the petition and learn about the campaign: vrsdivest.org
- Democratic and transparent pensions
- Listening to VRS members and VA residents
Out:
- Investing in war and genocide
- Ignoring input from workers about where their hard earned money goes
Sign the petition and learn about the campaign: vrsdivest.org
U.S. OUT OF VENEZUELA! VRS MUST DIVEST FROM WAR!
Two days ago, the United States engaged in large-scale attacks on Venezuela, a brazen violation of international law. These violations come after two years of imperialist and Zionist genocide in Gaza, and decades-old patterns of imperialist aggression to further U.S. energy and economic interests at the cost of life and sovereignty.
This could not have been made possible without the Virginia Retirement System which invests $300 million in weapons manufacturers who profit from endless wars. While millions continue to be poured into war making, Virginians continue to lack adequate access to housing, food, education, and healthcare. To learn more about the campaign and sign the petition, visit vrsdivest.org (link in bio).
END U.S. IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION! ARMS EMBARGO NOW!
Two days ago, the United States engaged in large-scale attacks on Venezuela, a brazen violation of international law. These violations come after two years of imperialist and Zionist genocide in Gaza, and decades-old patterns of imperialist aggression to further U.S. energy and economic interests at the cost of life and sovereignty.
This could not have been made possible without the Virginia Retirement System which invests $300 million in weapons manufacturers who profit from endless wars. While millions continue to be poured into war making, Virginians continue to lack adequate access to housing, food, education, and healthcare. To learn more about the campaign and sign the petition, visit vrsdivest.org (link in bio).
END U.S. IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION! ARMS EMBARGO NOW!
❤3
TRUMP’S PEACE IS WAR! VRS MUST DIVEST!
In the past year, the Trump administration has bombed 8 countries: Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Nigeria, and culminating this week in Venezuela. Trump claims to put America-first and love peace, meanwhile, he siphons millions of tax payer dollars to provoke wars rather than investing in the needs of the people domestically. We see through this smokescreen. Wars only advance the ruling class and their profit motives, at the expense of the working class domestically and abroad.
We demand a say in where public money is invested. The bare minimum is that it does not go to corporations who profit off of war. In Virginia, the Virginia Retirement System invests $300 million in 14 of these companies. We reject that our taxes and pensions are being used to increase their bottom line.
Sign the petition to show your support for divestment: vrsdivest.org (link in bio).
In the past year, the Trump administration has bombed 8 countries: Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Nigeria, and culminating this week in Venezuela. Trump claims to put America-first and love peace, meanwhile, he siphons millions of tax payer dollars to provoke wars rather than investing in the needs of the people domestically. We see through this smokescreen. Wars only advance the ruling class and their profit motives, at the expense of the working class domestically and abroad.
We demand a say in where public money is invested. The bare minimum is that it does not go to corporations who profit off of war. In Virginia, the Virginia Retirement System invests $300 million in 14 of these companies. We reject that our taxes and pensions are being used to increase their bottom line.
Sign the petition to show your support for divestment: vrsdivest.org (link in bio).
❤3
The Virginia Retirement System invests $300 million from Virginians’ tax dollars and pensions into the military corporations that develop the surveillance and weapons technologies used to target our migrant communities and profit from endless wars, without our consent. The VRS is an artery of the war machine that is dependent on our labor. But its complicity can be rooted our through our collective organizing. From Palestine to Minneapolis and Venezuela, the power of the masses is an impregnable force, ready to strike empire wherever it festers.
Join thousands in calling on VRS to divest from corporations that enable violence against our communities: vrsdivest.org
Join thousands in calling on VRS to divest from corporations that enable violence against our communities: vrsdivest.org
❤3
This morning, Abigail Spanberger was inaugurated as governor of the commonwealth. Hailed by many as a progressive, we insist that her term must reflect those values and the values of Virginians. The bare minimum is that our pensions and public money benefit people, not war profiteers. Join the call to demand VRS divest by signing the petition at vrsdivest.org
❤6
VRS: NO MONEY FOR WEAPONS AND WAR. vrsdivest.org
As Governor Spanberger was inaugurated on Saturday, Virginians dropped this banner in Arlington, not too far from the weapons manufacturers themselves. If Governor Spanberger is to listen to the people, she must hear our calls for divestment. No longer can the commonwealth subsidize war profiteers and stain our pensions with blood. In times of increasing militarism and fascism, we have a responsibility to limit the flow of arms used to perpetuate endless war and violence here and abroad. We demand full divestment from weapons manufacturers and an ethical investment policy that guarantees that our pensions are no longer complicit in genocide. Voice your support at vrsdivest.org
As Governor Spanberger was inaugurated on Saturday, Virginians dropped this banner in Arlington, not too far from the weapons manufacturers themselves. If Governor Spanberger is to listen to the people, she must hear our calls for divestment. No longer can the commonwealth subsidize war profiteers and stain our pensions with blood. In times of increasing militarism and fascism, we have a responsibility to limit the flow of arms used to perpetuate endless war and violence here and abroad. We demand full divestment from weapons manufacturers and an ethical investment policy that guarantees that our pensions are no longer complicit in genocide. Voice your support at vrsdivest.org
❤6
Virginians want their pensions to sustain life, not profit from death! For the past few months, the VRS campaign has been canvassing at community events and at local businesses, gathering widespread support for our demands of the VRS. Swipe for some highlights!
We need collective support to win this campaign! Join us in our canvassing efforts and help collect signatures- visit vrsdivest.org/outreach for all the materials you need! If you want to join current canvassing efforts, comment "VRS divest from weapons and war" on this post and we will reach out!
We need collective support to win this campaign! Join us in our canvassing efforts and help collect signatures- visit vrsdivest.org/outreach for all the materials you need! If you want to join current canvassing efforts, comment "VRS divest from weapons and war" on this post and we will reach out!
❤5
Forwarded from PYM DMV Announcements
Tune in to PYM’s 3rd radio broadcast, Tuesday, January 27th at 7 pm on WPFW 89.3FM. Under the title “Confronting Zionism and Undoing Imperialism” we will be discussing recent political updates in the region since the ceasefire; lessons from “America’s Forever Wars in the Middle East” – a 4-part course from the Palestinian Youth Movement and the People’s Forum focused on the history and present of US intervention in the Middle East; The Peoples Embargo for Palestine – an international movement for coordinated pressure to enact an arms embargo; how the arms embargo campaign is taken up locally with the Virginia Retirement System: No Pensions for Genocide campaign; ending with excerpts from Al-Naqsh Magazine.
You can tune in online at wpfwfm.org.
You can tune in online at wpfwfm.org.
❤2