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Divestment advocates packed the room at a State Board of Investments meeting in St. Paul Friday, asking the board to divest state pension funds from Israel. 

They brought the demand before the board days after Israel launched 

Many of the meeting attendees said they were public employees with state pension plans. The Board of Investments manages more than $90 million in those funds.

State employee Tracy Waterman told Gov. Tim Walz and other top officials on the board that she doesn't want her pension money going to Israel.

“We will not tolerate the investment of our pension funds in these violations of human rights,” Waterman said during the meeting’s public comment period. 

The meeting room filled to capacity, with about 50 people inside. Several dozen more protesters gathered outside, waving Palestinian flags and chanting. Security officials in the room kept the blinds drawn, as attendees heard chanting from the group outside.

Board members — Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, State Auditor Julie Blaha and Secretary of State Steve Simon — did not comment on the divestment calls at the meeting. After 

 and can’t make investment decisions based on politics.

Divestment advocates point to past instances when the board divested from South Africa and Russia. 

One attendee noted Walz’s recent jab at Elon Musk’s company Tesla, which the board invests in. At a speech in Wisconsin earlier this week, Walz joked that he checks for Tesla stock prices falling to “give me a little boost during the day.

“The governor was just talking about the collapsed Tesla stock as being good; that is part of our pension,” Jon VanOeveren said during the public comment. “It tells me that there are abilities to make changes to match your beliefs.”

Retired St. Paul Public Schools teacher Charlie Underwood brought along an envelope with his most recent pension check: just under $1,300, he said.

“I ask you to stop this investment in genocide. If you will not do this, I would ask you to accept back the blood money from my pension,” Underwood said. “I do not want it.” 

He left the envelope on the desk when the meeting adjourned. 

Protesters gathered outside for a rally after the meeting. They said they plan to keep pushing for divestment, especially after Israel renewed its offensive in Gaza.

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Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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Advocates packed the room at a State Board of Investments meeting in St. Paul Friday, renewing calls to divest state pension funds from Israel. 

Protesters continue push for state divestment from Israel

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