PAL-Awda launches global week of action against Citibank

For Immediate Release
Email: alawdany@gmail.com
Twitter handle: @AlAwda
Instagram handle: @palawda

PAL-Awda Launches Global Week of Action Against Citibank, Plans June 13 Rally at NYC Headquarters 

On Monday, June 10th, PAL-Awda NY/NJ: Palestinian Assembly for Liberation announced a Global Week of Action against Citibank, June 10th – June 14th, calling on people across the US and the world to boycott, protest, and shut down Citibank and “all those who profit off of mass murder in Gaza.” 

PAL-Awda urged people to close their accounts at Citibank and cancel their Citi credit cards throughout the week. In NYC, the Week of Action includes a protest at Citibank’s World Headquarters, 388 Greenwich St, New York 10013, at 4 PM on Thursday, June 13th. 

According to PAL-Awda, “Citibank and its parent company, Citigroup, deserve special attention” amongst US banks and corporations, due to the ways in which “their actions make the genocide in Gaza possible.” With assets of $2.9 trillion, Citigroup is one of the top four banks in the United States. 

In 2021, Citi loaned the israeli occupation regime $2.5 billion to buy 25 new F35 jet fighters. The US government is currently repaying that loan. PAL-Awda organizers explained that “those planes now rain death on families living in tents in Gaza. They destroy homes, hospitals, schools, mosques and churches.” The week of action takes place days after the israeli Occupation Forces, with US support, massacred at least 274 Palestinians in Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza, Palestine.

According to the Citigroup website, “Citi boasts the largest presence of any foreign financial institution in Israel and offers corporate and investment banking services to leading Israeli corporations and institutions and global corporations operating in Israel. Citi also offers private banking services to high-net-worth individuals living in Israel. Citi has demonstrated its leadership and commitment to Israel for many years. Citi’s Technology Innovation Lab in Tel Aviv is one of the best innovation labs in the world, working locally and globally together with the Citi accelerator program and cyber security lab.”

PAL-Awda also named major Citi shareholders known for war profiteering, such as Berkshire Hathaway, Black Rock, State Street, Vanguard, and Saudi Kingdom Holding.

In addition to the June 13th rally in New York City, organizers also encourage community groups in different cities around the world to hold protests at local branches of the bank. 

Photos and videos of protest activities are available upon request.

A call for global action to stop the profits of genocide

BOYCOTT/PROTEST/SHUTDOWN CITIBANK, CHEVRON & All Those Who Profit off Mass Murder in Gaza 

Follow @palawda on Instagram for campaign updates

The richest US banks and corporations are growing even richer off the horror being inflicted on the people of Palestine. Their actions make the genocide in Gaza possible. 

CITI THE GENOCIDE BANK The crimes of Citibank and its parent company, Citigroup, deserve special attention. With assets of $2.9 trillion, Citigroup is one of the top four banks in the United States.

• In 2021, Citi loaned the Israeli occupation regime $2.5 billion to buy 75 new F35 jet fighters. The US government is repaying that loan. Those planes now rain death on families living in tents in Gaza. They destroy homes, hospitals, schools,mosques and churches. They bomb villages in Lebanon.
• In its own words, “Citi boasts the largest presence of any foreign financial institution in Israel and offers corporate and investment banking services to leading Israeli corporations and institutions and global corporations operating in Israel. Citi also offers private banking services to high-net-worth individuals living in Israel. Citi has demonstrated its leadership and commitment to Israel for many years. Citi’s Technology Innovation Lab in Tel Aviv is one of the best innovation labs in the world, working locally and globally together with the Citi accelerator program and cyber security lab.”
• Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, a major investor in Israel’s war industry, is a top Citi shareholder. So are financial groups Black Rock, State Street and Vanguard, war profiteers all. Shamefully, Saudi Kingdom Holding also owns 500 million shares in the bank.

We call on people all over the U.S. and the world to join us  in a 

GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION AGAINST CITIBANK 

June 10 to June 14th: On those days we urge people to close their accounts at Citibank, cancel their Citi credit cards, and protest at Citibank offices.

(Here are some banking alternatives for people in the United States: https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/banking/best-credit-unions)

• We call on community groups to visit their local branches and express their opposition to Citi’s financing of genocide.
• We call on people around the world to protest Citi operations in their countries.

CHEVRON: GENOCIDE GAS Big Energy also makes big bucks off the genocide in Palestine. Chevron, the second biggest U.S. oil company, stole 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas from occupied Palestinian waters last year. That gas not only fuels the settler state’s economy. It is also sold to Egypt and Jordan. No doubt, the company hopes to get its hands on the gas off Gaza as well. 

Chevron also owns oil fields in Kazakhstan and Iraq Kurdistan that supply Israel’s war machine. Shamefully the corporation is allowed to pump oil and gas in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf kingdoms. 

We call for a global boycott on Chevron and its subsidiaries, Texaco, 76, Caltex, and Gulf, until the company stops fueling mass murder and oppression in Palestine.

THEY ARE NOT ALONE

All of Corporate America has blood on its hands. The guilt of the giant arms makers—-Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Boeing, etc—-is clear. Washington pays them billions to arm Israel’s murder machine. 

When the war criminals in Tel Aviv spend our tax dollars faster than Congress can cough them up, the bankers come in. 

Over the past four months, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs have helped Israel raise $6 billion dollars through private sales of Israel Bonds. Meanwhile, Bank of New York Mellon finances Israeli arms maker Elbit. All who care about justice should protest and boycott these murderous institutions. 

BRING BACK A REAL BOYCOTT

In the first two decades of Al Nakba, the Arab League called a boycott not only of the occupation regime but of corporations that invested in the occupation. In those years, the U.S. feared to openly supply arms to Israel. It is time to bring back a real comprehensive global boycott and hold the genocide bankers and corporate war criminals accountable for their deeds.