How a California city stopped corporate complicity in Israel's crimes

“What are we able to do in this moment?”

That’s what Alexis Villalobos asked his local activist group in Hayward, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area, a few weeks into Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Villalobos told The Electronic Intifada Podcast that his comrades at the Hayward Community Coalition began investigating the city’s investment portfolio. They learned that there were companies they could organize the community to demand that the city remove from its holdings.

George Syrop, a city council member, explained that Hayward issued $1.6 million worth of bonds in four companies that profit from Israel’s occupation: Caterpillar, Chevron, Hyundai and Intel.

“We had several Palestinian residents, neighbors and their friends coming out saying it is unconscionable to be directly funding the genocide of their family members,” Syrop said.

Instead of focusing their energy on a symbolic ceasefire resolution, Syrop added that the community wanted to enact a lasting, material consequence on US corporations.

“And hopefully, inspire other agencies, and other organizations and institutions to do the same,” he said.

In January, the Hayward city council voted in favor of divestment.

Hayward, CA and @HayCoCoa shows us how it's done! City council votes to remove Intel, Hyundai, Caterpillar & Chevron from its investment portfolio. All 4 companies are complicit in Isr**l's human rights violations. Which cities will be next to divest from genocide and apartheid? https://t.co/uicN6tcUln
— HCWforPalestine (@HCWforPalestine) January 28, 2024

DIVESTMENT NEWS: Hayward, California votes to remove Intel, Hyundai, Caterpillar, and Chevron from its investment portfolio. All four companies are complicit in Israel's human rights violations. It's time for other US cities and institutions to divest from genocide and apartheid! https://t.co/CIlc9lUYUp
— BDS movement (@BDSmovement) January 27, 2024

Noam Perry, the Strategic Research Coordinator of the American Friends Service Committee’s Action Center for Corporate Accountability, also joined the conversation.

Perry, who coordinates the AFSC’s Investigate project, talked about the significance of Hayward divesting from the four companies, which have been long-time targets of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.

He said that this is the first time a city in the US has passed this kind of divestment measure, and that the action is a significant victory for the global boycott movement.

Divesting “hurts the company’s reputation… this potentially could harm the company’s ability to borrow money from other institutional lenders,” Perry said.

AFSC has recently launched a campaign specifically targeting Chevron, demanding that the multinational oil corporation end its complicity in Israel’s war crimes.

Chevron is profiting off of the months long Palestinian genocide by supplying Israel with light and power via gas fields on occupied land.

Join the #BoycottChevron campaign and send a letter to CEO Mike Wirth right now: https://t.co/A0hQw2927L
— Investigate (@InvestigateTool) March 14, 2024

On the second floor of Acre the corner of College & Shafter, @chevron CEO Mike Wirth is having a private dinner, which is being interrupted by cease-fire protesters. #NoFuelForGenocide pic.twitter.com/4baxmYA5iV
— Bay Area Palestine Solidarity (@Bay4Palestine) February 1, 2024

Resources we discussed

“BDS movement calls for a consumer boycott of Chevron-branded gas stations,” Palestinian BDS National Committee
American Friends Service Committee’s campaign: BoycottChevron.org
Apartheid Free Cities: Mobilize municipalities to become apartheid-free in 2024, American Friends Service Committee

Watch the entire episode above or listen via Soundcloud below.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the city of Hayward owned shares in the four companies, instead of issued bonds. It has been updated.

Video production by Tamara Nassar

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