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Dozens of residents urge Rock Island to boycott, divest from companies tied to Israel; council takes no action
Summary
Multiple residents and local activists urged the City Council to adopt a resolution to boycott or divest from corporations they say are complicit in actions in Gaza and the West Bank; the comments were during public comment and no council vote on a divestment resolution occurred at the meeting.
Numerous residents and community activists used the City Council’s public-comment period Monday to urge Rock Island elected officials to adopt a resolution to boycott or divest from corporations they described as complicit in Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Speakers called on the council to refuse investments that they said support human-rights abuses and to redirect public funds toward local needs such as homelessness and healthcare. The comments included personal testimony and references to organized campaigns and petitions.
James Cox, a Rock Island resident, framed the request as a moral imperative and said, “By choosing to divest, we are signaling that our community refuses to be complicit in acts that violate basic human dignity.”
Ahmed Abwafife identified himself as a second-generation Nakba survivor and said the Quad Cities Coalition has been working to document local business interest in redirecting funds to the local economy; he urged the council to “practice what you’ve preached” and to work cooperatively with the coalition. Taylor Denton, speaking for the Quad Cities Coalition for Palestine, said the group brought a petition signed by more than 100 constituents and urged the council to target companies such as Caterpillar, Boeing, RTX and Palantir with boycott and divestment actions.
Other speakers including Rachel Walker, Laurel Bloomquist, Teddy Dottie, Andrew DeFries, Dionica Gray and James Blue echoed calls for the city to reject complicity and to use economic leverage to push for human-rights protections. Several speakers also connected domestic concerns—homelessness, Medicaid cuts and community safety—to their argument for redirecting public resources.
Council members did not take up a motion to consider a divestment or boycott resolution during the meeting; the remarks were recorded as public comment. No staff report or ordinance related to divestment appeared on the published council agenda for this meeting.
Speakers identified local examples of other jurisdictions that have adopted related measures and urged Rock Island to join them; speakers also offered to work with the city and to share research. Council members did not comment substantively or indicate a scheduling decision for the topic during the meeting’s public-comment segment.
