Pro-Palestinian groups deplore the lack of dialogue by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) during a meeting held Wednesday to discuss the Caisse’s investments in companies “complicit in the genocidal war in Gaza.”
This is what the Quebec Coalition URGENCE Palestine denounced during a press conference Thursday morning, in front of the CDPQ offices at Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the group had asked the Caisse to withdraw its investments “which total $14.2 billion in 87 companies […] legally complicit in the violations of rights and crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinian people,” said Raymond Legault, spokesperson for the Coalition.
However, the CDPQ representatives present at the meeting refused to answer any questions about their investments, according to Diane Lamoureux, spokesperson for the Coalition. “They told us they were there to listen to us […]but listening to them is not enough,” she commented.
“It’s not that they don’t know, it’s that they don’t want to talk about it. […] “They are very keen to continue making money off the backs of the Palestinians,” added Paul Fauteux, an international law attorney.
The Coalition has asked to meet directly with the CDPQ board of directors. “In the meantime, our mobilization and determination will not weaken,” said Diane Lamoureux.
Investments called into question
The Coalition denounces in particular the CDPQ’s investments in companies such as the defense and security company Lockheed Martin which “conduct activities in violation of international law,” according to the press release issued by the Coalition.
Lockheed Martin manufactures, among other things, the fighter planes used by the Israeli army in its attacks on the Gaza Strip, argued Benoît Allard, spokesperson for the Collective Divest for Palestine.
“Every time there is a strike against civilians in Gaza, Lockheed Martin profits, the Caisse de dépôt profits, and through it, all Quebecers receive dividends on the genocide,” he said.
“We believe that it is inevitable to be invested in multinationals present throughout the world and we also expect them to respect the highest standards wherever they operate,” the CDPQ said in an email to The Press.
The Caisse added that it had committed to no longer investing in “the region” until further notice. “This is a complex and sensitive situation and we take these issues very seriously. Our views, which are based on those of credible legal experts, do not match those of the Coalition,” it added.