Palestine solidarity activists joined forces with the “Here We Boycott Amazon” campaign for a demonstration at the Quebec Deposit and Investment Fund (CDPQ) offices. Dozens of activists entered the offices on the afternoon of May 2 to remove furniture and bring it outside.
Members of Divest for Palestine, Workers' Alliance and the Laval Amazon Workers Union targeted the CDPQ for its investment in Amazon and other businesses linked to Israel's war on Palestine. Donning masks bearing the face of Jeff Bezos and of CDPQ CEO Charles Émond, they quickly emptied the office of furniture.
The Quebec Deposit and Investment Fund manages public and parapublic pension plans and insurance programs.
“It's an institution that manages $273 billion, which belongs to the people of Quebec, various pension funds. So it's our money they're investing in companies complicit in genocide and occupation,” remarked Benoît Allard of Divest for Palestine.
The CDPQ currently holds more than $2 billion in Amazon shares and more than $25 billion in 75 other businesses linked to Israel's war on Palestine, including arms manufacturers.
“The CDPQ must divest from these 76 companies, but it must also set up a transparent control process to ensure that no new investments are made in companies that are complicit in human rights violations,” says Allard.
The American multinational provides technology to the Israeli government and military through its cloud computing subsidiary, Amazon Web Services (AWS).
“Amazon Web Services also provides the cloud architecture for the Israeli state, including the army,” explains Allard, “that means online storage services, but also artificial intelligence that allows them to process the data they are using right now to conduct the genocide in Gaza, and more generally to maintain the Apartheid regime, arresting Palestinians, imprisoning them, repressing them, in every sphere of their lives.”
The “Here We Boycott Amazon” campaign targeted Amazon Web Services earlier this week. Activists blocked the entrance to an AWS building in Varennes and denounced public subsidies received by the company.
“Amazon has been getting gifts from the government for several years,” says André-Philippe Doré, spokesperson for the Amazon boycott campaign in Quebec. “They got hooked up to the power grid for free instead of paying 1 million like it would usually cost. They get preferential rates for hydro, and they've gotten subsidies directly from the government.”
A 2022 report from UNI, an international union federation based in Switzerland, indicated that AWS received $325.6 million in public subsidies for its Montreal-area data centre.
The action at the CDPQ was part of a week of action undertaken by the “Here We Boycott Amazon” campaign. Over the course of the week, campaign activists and former Amazon workers occupied Hydro-Québec headquarters, held a solidarity picket at a Canada Post depot, demonstrated on International Workers' Day and held a protest outside the home of Labour Minister Jean Boulet.
Quebec's parliament passed a motion condemning the demonstration at the Labour Minister's house. All parties in the legislature voted in favour of the motion, with the exception of Québec Solidaire, who abstained.