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Hewlett Packard Protest: The People's Shareholders Meeting
A coalition of organizations for Palestinian rights took their protest directly to HP headquarters in Palo Alto, California today. They started planning for their demonstration following Hewlett Packard’s February 4 announcement that it would replace its in-person annual shareholder meeting with an online-only meeting.
Top photo: Delit Baum, an organizer for American Friends Service Committee and an Israeli citizen, stands in front of HP board members at a mock Hewlett Packard podium. She testifies to shareholders on lawn chairs in front of HP headquarters.
Top photo: Delit Baum, an organizer for American Friends Service Committee and an Israeli citizen, stands in front of HP board members at a mock Hewlett Packard podium. She testifies to shareholders on lawn chairs in front of HP headquarters.
Today, on the grassy lawn in front of Hewlett Packard headquarters, demonstrators held a "virtual" meeting dubbed "The People's Shareholders Meeting". Board members in silk-screened HP insignia ties joined a Meg Whitman character in blonde wig. CEO Whitman fielded questions about the company's complicity in Israel's oppression of Palestine from a group on lawn chairs portraying shareholders. Testifiers, including two Israeli citizens, spoke to the shareholders from a mock podium.
Following Hewlett-Packard’s February 4 announcement that it would replace its in-person annual shareholder meeting with an online meeting, a coalition of organizations for Palestinian rights decided to take their protest directly to HP in Palo Alto, California. Last year shareholders who objected to Hewlett Packard's aid to Israel spoke at the annual meeting held at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
HP facilitates both the illegal Israeli occupation and apartheid in Palestine/Israel. Its technology and equipment aid oppression through the development of its biometric system used for population and territorial control. HP's Basel system is installed at the Israeli military checkpoints in the occupied West Bank... checkpoints that deprive Palestinians of freedom of movement in violation of international law.
Some of the members of the coalition for this action, which was counter-protested by a small group of zionists, include:
American Friends Service Committee; Ecumenical Peace Institute; Friends of Deir Ibza; Friends of Sabeel, NorCal; International Solidarity Movement; Peninsula Peace & Justice Center, Jewish Voice for Peace –Bay Area, Santa Cruz, and South Bay Chapters; Queers United Against Israeli Terrorism; Rossmoor Voices for Justice in Palestine, San Jose Peace & Justice Center, and American Muslims for Palestine.
The Raging Bubbes for Divestment (the Raging Grannies) led the group in protest songs before the mock shareholders meeting.
Following Hewlett-Packard’s February 4 announcement that it would replace its in-person annual shareholder meeting with an online meeting, a coalition of organizations for Palestinian rights decided to take their protest directly to HP in Palo Alto, California. Last year shareholders who objected to Hewlett Packard's aid to Israel spoke at the annual meeting held at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
HP facilitates both the illegal Israeli occupation and apartheid in Palestine/Israel. Its technology and equipment aid oppression through the development of its biometric system used for population and territorial control. HP's Basel system is installed at the Israeli military checkpoints in the occupied West Bank... checkpoints that deprive Palestinians of freedom of movement in violation of international law.
Some of the members of the coalition for this action, which was counter-protested by a small group of zionists, include:
American Friends Service Committee; Ecumenical Peace Institute; Friends of Deir Ibza; Friends of Sabeel, NorCal; International Solidarity Movement; Peninsula Peace & Justice Center, Jewish Voice for Peace –Bay Area, Santa Cruz, and South Bay Chapters; Queers United Against Israeli Terrorism; Rossmoor Voices for Justice in Palestine, San Jose Peace & Justice Center, and American Muslims for Palestine.
The Raging Bubbes for Divestment (the Raging Grannies) led the group in protest songs before the mock shareholders meeting.
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It was a lifeless annual meeting – script reading.
Questions would be read and Meg often said, “I’ll take that one” to add fake spontaneity.
Sometimes she would hand off part of a question to someone else and it sounded like they were reading the answer.
Very few people were present.
I believe the only directors present were Meg and the lead director.
Meg did not need to know anything for this meeting – her staff could have gotten all the answers ahead of time.
Nonetheless Meg did not even know what the stock price was today.
In all cases the identify of persons submitting questions was not disclosed.
A lot of unsupported platitudes from Meg:
I could not be prouder.
Worked very hard.
Come a long ways.
If we do the right things the stock price will take care of itself.
HP will determine where to play and how to win.
Questions would be read and Meg often said, “I’ll take that one” to add fake spontaneity.
Sometimes she would hand off part of a question to someone else and it sounded like they were reading the answer.
Very few people were present.
I believe the only directors present were Meg and the lead director.
Meg did not need to know anything for this meeting – her staff could have gotten all the answers ahead of time.
Nonetheless Meg did not even know what the stock price was today.
In all cases the identify of persons submitting questions was not disclosed.
A lot of unsupported platitudes from Meg:
I could not be prouder.
Worked very hard.
Come a long ways.
If we do the right things the stock price will take care of itself.
HP will determine where to play and how to win.
No one there was a professional actor. The message was on target...
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