BDS Southwark Council phone zap

TELL SOUTHWARK COUNCIL: DIVEST FROM GENOCIDE

BAE Systems. Elbit Systems. Hewlett Packard (HP). Multiple Israeli real estate agencies. Southwark Council has just under 5 MILLION pounds invested in companies that draw their profits from the genocide of Palestinians. We the people of Southwark say NO MORE.

On Friday June 14th, from 9am to 6pm, we will flood Southwark Council offices with phone call after phone call, asking them to explain how their ethical investment policy could possibly align with this bloodshed. Do your part by signing up for a 30m – 1hr slot to ring up Southwark Council and demand accountability.

Sign up here – give your first name or a nickname! Use the hashtag #ZapSouthwarkBDS to let us know you’re taking part

What is a phone zap? A phone zap is a radically effective form of remote protest. There can be no business as usual during a genocide, so for a day we will make business as usual impossible in the Southwark Council offices. We will make it impossible for the people responsible for these decisions to ignore the will of the people.

WHO TO CALL

020 7525 4924 – Southwark Council pensions line

020 7525 0042 – complaints

Stephanie Cryan, cabinet member for community democracy and finance

mobile: 07985116251
office: 020 7525 0247

Here are some scripts to use when you call:

SCRIPT 1

I am calling as an employee of Southwark Council to ask some questions about your Ethical Investment policy. I see that my pensions are invested in weapons manufacturers such as Elbit Systems and BAE Systems. Is this in line with your ethical investment policy? I object to my pension fund coming from the genocide of Palestinians. I also see you are invested in Israeli real estate firms that sell stolen land in the West Bank. Could you explain to me how this aligns with ethical investment? What steps are you going to take to meet employee’s demands for an ethical pension fund?

SCRIPT 2

I am calling as a resident of Southwark, I have a complaint about your ethical investment policy. I see that our pension fund is invested in arms manufacturers such as BAE Systems and Elbit Systems, as well as real estate brokers operating on stolen land. This is a violation of ethical investment, and I’d like you to tell me what Southwark Council plans to do to resolve this.

SCRIPT 3

I am calling as a resident/employee of Southwark. I see that our pension fund is invested in arms manufacturers such as BAE Systems and Elbit Systems as well as real estate brokers operating on stolen land. This is a violation of ethical investment, and as cabinet member for community democracy and finance I’d like you to tell me what your plans are to resolve this?

SOME NOTES ON DOING A PHONE ZAP

• Block out an hour, especially as we flood the phone lines you might we waiting a while. Normal hold time for the complaints line, for example, is 40 minutes.
• For this reason, pick one number and stick to it until you get through.
• The person on the phone will try to tell you ‘I’m just a receptionist’ ‘I can’t do anything about this’ etc, don’t falter, just hold your ground and read the script. You’re not being abusive, you’re just demanding the accountability you’re entitled to.
• They may ask you for personal details. You’re not doing anything illegal or unsavoury, so there’s no risk to giving these details, but you’re also welcome to give a false name.
• These numbers are all publicly available for residents like you to hold your representatives to account.