Members of Parents for Peace Worthing wound Worthing Town Hall in 165 metres of fabric, in the colours of the Palestinian flag on Tuesday, October 15. “Approximately 200” people turned out to help wrap the material. There were also a number of pro-Israel protestors present.
The demonstration was organised to coincide with Worthing Borough Council’s full council meeting.
At the meeting the group alleged that West Sussex County Council’s local government pension scheme invests in “at least four companies that have ties to arms sales and illegal Israeli settlements and that Worthing Borough Council employers’ contributions make up 5.4% of this pension scheme”.
WSCC denies these allegations. A spokeswoman for WSCC previously said: “The portfolios have no exposure to controversial weapons or arms manufacturers selling directly to Israel and do not include those companies considered by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to be supporting Israeli settlements impacting the Palestinian people.”
Pro Israel protestors were also in attendance (Image: Parents for Peace Worthing) A spokeswoman for Parents for Peace Worthing said the council responded to the allegations posed during the meeting by saying they were not aware of any current Worthing Borough Council investments in companies “supporting the illegal settlements or arms sales to Israel” but that they would investigate one company which had been “flagged”.
They also confirmed they would look into the WSCC investments.
The spokeswoman said: “It was great to see such a cross-section of our community coming together last night in support of Palestine. We were heartened by the council’s response to our question on divestment and will continue to lobby for no pension fund investments in companies supporting arms sales or ties with Israel’s illegal settlements.”
