A St. Catharines Scotiabank branch was closed Friday, March 15, despite being advertised as open until 5 p.m. on their door and online, according to a news release from the Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine Israel (NMJPI).
Members of NMJPI ran out of 200 flyers meant for bank customers urging them to divest because of Scotiabank's "investment in Israel's Elbit Systems," asserted the release. NMJPI was scheduled to flyer until 5:30 p.m., but ran out due to higher interest than anticipated, organizers said.
NMJPI asserts that Elbit Systems provides Israel with 85 per cent of their drones and land-based equipment.
Sara Hesse, a graduate student who designed NMJPI's flyer, said in the release that, “It’s disappointing that Scotiabank would not allow NMJPI to air our very valid concerns about the bank’s involvement with Elbit Systems. They are actively avoiding accountability.”
The release did not make clear how the bank closing its branch stopped the group from airing their concerns.
Desmond Sequeira, whom the release identified as a Scotiabank customer and co-founder of NMJPI, said, "Next 'Shut Down' of Scotia should be of its lethal investment in Elbit's genocidal project, if it wants to retain the trust of Canadians."
The Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine Israel (NMJPI) was founded in 2020 and has organized demonstrations, letter writing, film screenings, fundraisers, and other actions to bring about permanent peace for all in Palestine and Israel. In their release, the NMJPI stated that they believe the most effective vehicle to accomplish this goal is the global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting the government and businesses of Israel and the settlements encroaching on Palestinian land.