G4S Boycott Spreads for Its Role in Israeli Jails
Palestinian organizations had launched a boycott and divestment campaign against the G4S firm in 2012 because the British company provides security equipment and services to Israeli prisons where thousands of Palestinians are detained, World Bulletin reported.
Israel is notorius for keeping Palestinians in prison, in detention without trial and using systematic torture, including of children.
The University of Helsinki's decision comes after a campaign that was backed by unions representing its academics and students.
In April 2014, a petition urging it to drop G4S was handed to the university’s administration.
Not long after, the university director’s Jukka Kola tweeted that the contract with G4S would be examined.
Finnish company called Turvatiimi will be providing security services at the university.
“We welcome this decision by the university. We’re delighted that so many parts of the University of Helsinki community joined us in opposing the role of G4S in Israel’s human rights abuses,” said Teivo Teivainen, one of the academics involved in launching the campaign.
Durham County in North Carolina, the US, also recently voted to drop G4S. In Durham County, G4S provided security services at libraries and police, and civic buildings. The contract was worth $1million dollars.
