Protesters at Detroit UAW call for divestment from Israel during Hamas war

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Calls for a ceasefire and an end to the war in the Middle East continue to ring out in Detroit.

It was the message behind a small protest in front of the United Auto Workers (UAW) building early Tuesday morning. Among those protesting was engineer and autoworker Vincent Coakley. 

"We want to make the world a better place as engineers," said Coakley. "And we think that as long as our money is being invested in these negative things that are going on around the world, it’s necessary for us to take a stand."

The ‘US Palestinian Community Network’ and other supporters were protesting in front of the UAW on Jefferson Avenue on Tuesday morning. They were demanding one thing: divestment from Israel.

"We’re trying to put pressure on them and demand that they add that to the agenda and vote to get rid of all $400,000+ that they have invested in the ongoing genocide that’s happening in Palestine," he said. 

Coakley says Tuesday is the beginning of this week’s UAW’s international executive board meetings. He said protesters would like the divestment of Israeli military bonds to be on the agenda.

"The stuff that’s going on out there is unbelievable," he said. "Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children killed all on our dollar."

He says the UAW has listened to their demands before, and they delivered.

"In 1973 there was an autoworker strike in which over 20,000 workers went on strike in order to get $10,000 worth of UAW money divested from Israel," he said.  

FOX 2 reached out to the UAW, and they say in 2023 the UAW International Executive Board called for a ceasefire.

Then in February 2024, the UAW, along with six other national unions, and 200 local unions, formed ‘The National Labor Network for Ceasefire’ in which they sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding a ceasefire and an embargo on delivery of military aid to Israel.

Coakley and others say they want more done and want the money rerouted to workers and better working conditions.

"You know, we’re autoworkers and at the end of the day, once again, we don’t want our labor to be going to support regimes, committing genocide," he said. "We want our companies to be doing things that are positive for the world." 

The group was hoping their message was heard. Their goal is simple: divestment, which happened decades ago. They say they'll keep protesting until it happens.