PORTLAND, Ore. – A group of pro-Palestinian activists briefly occupied the G4S Security offices here to protest the company’s affiliation with the Israeli prison system.
G4S has operations in as many as 125 countries, including 11 Arab states. The members of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement claim G4S holds contracts to “provide equipment and services to Israeli prisons at which Palestinian political prisoners, including child prisoners, are detained and mistreated,” Haaretz reports.
The group also says the security firm provides equipment and services to checkpoints, illegal settlements and businesses within the settlements.
In June, the firm announced that it would end all Israeli prison contracts within the next three years. However, activists claim that the company has made similar promises in the past without following through.
The protesters have demanded that G4S “honor its prior commitments to withdraw from Ofer prison, affiliated checkpoints, and affiliated West Bank police stations,” lay out plans to end contracts related to the West Bank, abide by its human rights guidance policy and review all its contracts throughout the world to make sure they adhere to its human rights guidance policy.
The Portland office was shut down for the day during the protest. Activists were eventually forced out the building by security.
