Dozens of American citizens, members of a Peaceful Jewish organizations, protested on Thursday evening in front of Caterpillar headquarters in Chicago, in the United States, and demanded the company to stop the transfer of its bulldozers to Israel.
The parents of Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist killed by an Israeli military bulldozer in Rafah, March 2003, also participated in the protest.
Rachel, along with several other peace activists, was trying to stop the army from demolishing a Palestinian house, in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Israel uses the Caterpillar bulldozers to demolish Palestinian homes in the occupied territories.
The parents of Rachel handed some 600 cards from supporters from various other areas in the United States.
Several institutions, including the Anglican Church, are conducting campaigns against investment in the Caterpillar Group in an attempt to stop it from selling their products to Israel.
Since 1967, Israel has demolished at least 12.000 Palestinians houses using these bulldozers.
On Wednesday June 14th, Caterpillar, Inc. shareholders met in Chicago to discuss the future of their global corporation.
However, this year, like the two previous years, CAT shareholders will have to contend with issues far more complicated than net profits and costs of production. Due to the tireless efforts of activists nationwide and a mounting corporate accountability campaign.
This year, CAT shareholders will be challenged with the question of how it can reconcile its bulldozer sales to Israel, to be used in contravention of international humanitarian and human rights law with its own code of corporate conduct which declares "as a company, we strive to contribute toward a global environment in which all people can work safely and live healthy, productive lives, now and in the future."
