Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside of a Capital One Cafe on Saturday to demand that the bank stop supporting an Israeli weapons company.
Dozens of protestors with the Boston chapter of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions gathered outside the cafe as the Good Trouble Brass Band played "Which Side Are You On." The group is calling on the bank to end its loan and credit line to Elbit Systems, the largest and primary weapons supplier for the Israel Defense Forces. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Elbit Systems of America opened its location in Cambridge in 2001. BDS Boston has been protesting against Elbit for years now. Liza Behrendt says the action has led to some progress.
"A little over a year ago, they were forced out of their office in Central Square, Cambridge, and this past spring, MIT ended their partnership with them," Behrendt said.
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Capital One's funding deals are set to expire next year. They hope that the bank will not renew them. BDS Boston protests set different branches each weekend.
"We want to take this opportunity to tell them, uh, stop loaning to Elbit Systems now or else we will keep coming back over and over again."
David Berkinsky says they want to make sure people don't forget about Gaza.
"We have to keep making sure that people are paying attention. As soon as we stop paying attention, more lives are lost, and people aren't held accountable."
A previous demonstration in October against Elbit in Cambridge led to the arrest of nine people.
WBZ NewsRadio's Kyle Bray (@KyleBrayWBZ) reports.