May 23 Day of Blackrock Action.

 CODEPINK’s Day of Action against BlackRock May 23 is part of a larger campaign to get America to divest from the War Machine Economy and to invest in a Green Peace Economy, by asking/pushing companies to divest from war and weapons. BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, controlling more than $5 trillion. They’re also known as the world’s largest shadow bank. They own stock in almost every publicly-traded company around the world, so it’s no surprise that they have large shares in the world’s largest weapons companies. Included on that list are military contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics, the top 5 military contractors in the U.S. BlackRocks investments in violence also include civilian arms manufacturers such as Sturm Ruger. At the end of 2017, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink issued a statement that he was going to start holding corporations accountable for being good global citizens.

In the first steps of recognizing that weapons business is not good business, BlackRock responded to the Parkland shooting by creating two gun-free funds for investors. And more recently, they voted for a shareholder proposal at Sturm Ruger to force the company to prepare a report on the financial and reputational risks of its product.  BlackRock seems to be beginning to understand that companies who put guns on the streets at home may not be the wisest investments; however, they remain firmly invested in companies whose sole purpose is to create weapons used at home and around the world.  It does not matter if the weapon is aimed at our children, or at children in a different country – we have no business making a killing from killing.

Codepink is working to remind their CEO recently said that he was going to start holding the companies they invest in accountable for being responsible corporate citizens. On March 8, 2018…CodePink Women for Peace held a lively protest in San Francisco’s Financial District at the office of BlackRock, an investment firm with more than $5.6 billion invested in Lockheed Martin. So protesters held a large banner saying Lockheed Weapons Terrorize the World to remind him that Lockheed makes a killing off of killing and Khalilah Ramirez performed the Dance of Peace and protesters denounced BlackRock CEO by name: “Larry Fink, stop and think, your war investments sure do stink!”

With this divestment campaign we are calling for a radical rethinking of American priorities. Diluting the power of those who profit most from war-making is the first step in building a transformed nation that stops spreading violence and death at home and abroad. A divestment campaign gives power to the public to dismantle the war economy and demand that our nation operate to uphold the right of every human being, both at home and abroad, to live in freedom and dignity, safe and free from poverty, danger, and despair. The goal of the divest campaign is to urge all individuals and all public and private institutions to change priorities and move our tax and investment dollars in exactly the opposite direction proposed by the President, from militarism to human and environmental needs. From a war machine economy to a green peace economy. It’s time for BlackRock to stop profiting from war and weapons, both at home and around the world.

Please join us as we call for divesting from the War Economy and investing in a Peace Economy!

Pledge to work with CODEPINK to stop war profiteers from making a killing on killing and stealing our future!