Local activists urge Alexandria to divest from companies tied to Gaza conflict and surveillance tech

Several speakers used public comment to urge the City Council to adopt an ethical‑investment stance and divest from companies they said profit from violence in Gaza and that supply surveillance technology used for immigration enforcement.

Michelle Zara and other advocates cited a recent United Nations vote and read portions of the text, saying the international community condemned attacks on civilians in Gaza and called for humanitarian access. Colleen Moore urged the city to divest from the Virginia Treasury's Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) and supplemental retirement plans, naming companies such as Lockheed Martin, Airbnb, Alphabet and Motorola. Moore said, as part of her testimony, that Caterpillar represented 82.9% of $419,600,000 invested in the LGIP's reserve (figures supplied in her oral remarks).

Another speaker linked recent ICE arrests in Alexandria to the same corporate surveillance technologies, saying companies that profit abroad also enable local deportation operations and urging the city to stop investing in those firms. Speakers recommended divestment of pension holdings, nonrenewal of contracts with specific vendors, and closer review of the city’s investment policies to align them with ethical standards.

Council members received the testimony but did not take up a divestment motion at the meeting. Several speakers said they plan to return with additional materials and asked the council to investigate the city’s existing investment exposures and pension holdings.