Anti-JBS Group Demonstrated in Front of New York Stock Exchange on Friday to Urge Stakeholders to Hold Batistas Accountable and Say No to JBS IPO
New York, NY (April 27, 2024) – On the heels of a protest of JBS S.A. in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, Executive Director of Ban the Batistas, Kimberly Spell, issued the following statement today in response to JBS shareholder vote to reinstate brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista to its board of directors:
“The shareholder vote to reinstate the Batista brothers to JBS’s board proves what we have known all along: the game is rigged, and these corrupt billionaire criminals will stop at nothing in their quest to dominate the U.S. food industry and brazenly defy accountability.
A majority of shares not cast by the Batistas either rejected or did not support their election. When even their own shareholders tell them to stay away, that is a powerful indictment of the brothers. It’s now the SEC’s turn to reject the Batistas and say no to their IPO.
On Friday, protestors gathered at the New York Stock Exchange, America’s most important financial institution, to bring visibility to this critical issue. Our call goes out to U.S. regulators and lawmakers in the highest levels of government: stand up to JBS and do what’s necessary to stop the Batistas from accessing our domestic exchanges and supercharging their market consolidation, corruption, and climate harm.”
The final results of the vote show approximately 1.24 billion shares in favor of the brothers’ appointment, while nearly 250,000,000 rejected and nearly 500,000 abstained. With the Basita brothers’ holding company J&F Investimentos controlling 1.08 billion shares, the decision was expected, but is a clear signal that most minority shareholders do not want the Batistas in power.
Photos and video from the Ban the Batistas protest in front of the New York Stock Exchange on April 26th can be viewed here.
About Ban the Batistas
Ban the Batistas is an advocacy group fighting to protect American farmers, ranchers, consumers, and investors from the risks of a U.S. stock listing by JBS S.A. and the unchecked power grab by its majority shareholders, brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista. Learn more at banthebatistas.com.
Contact:
Katya Myagkova
