The Houston Chapter of Friends of Brad Will, a network of activists demanding accountability for the murder of our friend, U.S. journalist Brad Will, is calling for your important human rights assistance in the case of the man unjustly accused of the crime. Meanwhile, the off-duty police who were shown on video to be Brad's true assassins are still on the job.

Juan Manuel was released from the Ixcotel prison on the 18th of February after spending 16 months unjustly accused of murdering the North American journalist, Bradley Roland Will on Oct. 27th 2006. For quite some time, Juan Manuel and his family have received threats and intimidation. While in prison he was often threatened and told, “Remember, you have a wife and three kids”. The threats and intimidations continue today which make it important to take action in order to live in peace and freedom. This is why we are demanding the physical and psychological protection of Juan Manuel Martínez Moreno and his wife, children, brothers, sisters, and parents.

Please contact: sample email, info and full contact info in English, en español

by SDS Media Team from the Open Publishing Newswire: Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Houston hosted a week of events marking Israeli Apartheid Week which included the panels pictured below. Part of the Monday panel and the full Wednesday Panel were recorded and links to the audio are here: [Photos from all 3 Panels | Audio from Monday Panel | Audio from Wednesday Panel]

In addition to the panels, we held a street theater demonstration on campus on Tuesday (link includes coverage by Daily Cougar and Jewish Herald Voice), and a demonstration against Caterpillar on Friday their sales of bulldozers used to build apartheid to the Israeli Military and in observance of the murder of Rachel Corrie by the IDF driving Caterpillar bulldozers.

The goal of Israeli Apartheid Week is to draw attention to Israels policies against Palestinians, and encourage a Boycott, Divest and Sanctions strategy to push for justice in Israel/Palestine. More info at Students for a Democratic Society at UH Blog

While the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were holding a $1,000 a plate fundraiser at the ritzy Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan, hundreds of Palestine solidarity activists from a wide array of organizations took to the streets to protest Israeli war crimes, the blockade of Gaza, and the occupation of Palestine. READ MORE | PHOTO: Ellen Davidson

RELATED: The Sixth Annual Israeli Apartheid Week 2010 | Israeli Aparthied Week at UH March 8th to 12th

The 6th International Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is taking place across the globe from from March 1st to the 14th. Since it was first launched in 2005, IAW has grown to become one of the most important global events in the Palestine solidarity calendar. Last year, more than 40 cities around the world participated in the week's activities, which took place in the wake of Israel's brutal assault against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. IAW continues to grow with new cities joining this year.

From the Students for a Democratic Society Blog: Since it was first launched in 2005, Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) has grown to become one of the most important global events in the Palestine solidarity calendar. Last year, more than 40 cities around the world participated in the week's activities, which took place in the wake of Israel's brutal assault against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. IAW continues to grow with new cities joining this year. This year Houston is one of these cities. UH SDS is excited to host a week of events from March 8th to the 12th as part of this global week of action in solidarity with the Palestinian Struggle.

IAW will feature lectures, film screenings, cultural activities, and demonstrations aimed at raising awareness about Israel’s apartheid policies toward Palestinians and to gather support for the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. The demands of the BDS campaign are:
1. Ending Israel's occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall;
2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.
[Read Full Article with schedule and video]

Troupe Associate Director Replies: “Nothing” Was There in 1948

February 20, 2010 – The Israel Ballet’s recent performance of Don Quixote was protested by a coalition of activists who sought to highlight the troupe’s role in the Israeli government’s attempt to whitewash its record of war crimes, violations of international law, and other atrocities through promotion of its country’s artistic and cultural workers. Read More | Video

More Coverage: Student Group Advocates Boycott of Ballet | Dancing, Singing New Yorkers protest, calling for boycott of Israel Ballet | Israel Ballet Runs into “ResisDance” in Brooklyn | Israel ballet interrupted in Burlington, VT | Free Speech Again Censored at University at Buffalo | Coming up: Peace and social justice groups to boycott the Israel Ballet performance at Montgomery College, MD on Friday, February 26th

Related: Hit Play "I Heart Hamas" Reframes Palestinian Identity

Forty-five human rights activists called upon fellow New Yorkers to boycott the Israel Ballet at its performance Sunday at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. Accompanied by the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, protesters performed ballet, sang, chanted, and handed out mock programs to bring attention to the Israel Ballet's role in the Israeli state's use of the arts to whitewash its crimes against the Palestinian people. The demonstration was the third to take place along the Ballet company's U.S. tour in as many days. Hundreds of people entering the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts were handed mock programs that, when opened, described the connections between the Israel Ballet and Israeli apartheid. Outside of the venue, attendees could hear protesters chanting "Pas de deux or arabesque / The occupation is grotesque" and "A little tutu cannot hide / Your support for apartheid!" Dave Lippman of Adalah-NY commented, "We are here to let the Israel Ballet know that it cannot tip-toe around apartheid."

The 110 minute video as well as five out takes from the presentation on January 28 in Portland was organized and sponsored by www.PCASC.net. These are 5 short YouTube out takes from his 2 hour speaking engagement on 1.28.10: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Jose Baqendale discusses (1)The coupe (2)The Resistance (3)The Police (4)Missing People & Womans March (5)The Front's policies. Link to entire 100 min U-Tube Video

On January 16, Diné, O’odham and Autonomous/Anti-authoritarian (DO@) people answered a call-out from the O’odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective and Phoenix Class War Council to form the DO@ Block.

The bloc, consisting of anarchists and Indigenous people, converged on occupied Akimel O’odham Pi-Posh land (Phoenix) to take part in what was a larger march against Maricopa County, AZ, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio is well known for his racist border politics and strict prison regulations. However this time people were confronting his repression on those that take situations into their own hands and defiantly cross the border without the permission of others.

From the newswire: "Martin Macias, Jr., a credentialed freelance journalist who contributes to Vocalo.org, the online and new media outlet for Chicago Public Radio, was turned back from the Canadian border late Saturday night.

"[Macias] was a lead organizer for No Games Chicago, the all-volunteer citizens group that opposed the Chicago bid for the 2016 Olympics. Martin was part of the No Games delegations that went to the International Olympic Committee's international headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland and then to Copenhagen, Denmark to deliver materials documenting the reasons why Chicago should not have been awarded the games. Martin was an invited guest a conference critical of the 2010 Vancouver games and the Olympic industry."

Quoting Macias: "I was in the passport line in Vancouver and I told them I was a radio journalist and a student a Malcolm X College. The agent put a big circle and x on my ticket. I was pulled out the line and questioned aggressively for two hours. They wanted to know what I was going to do in Vancouver, who i was meeting with, who organized the conference and what they looked like. They took all my contact information and business cards of journalists and other people I was to connect with while in Vancouver." When Macias demanded to know what his rights were, he was told: "You don't have any." Read more

Additional Coverage: Vancouver Media Co-op: Anti-Olympics organizer and journalist denied entry to Canada | No Games Chicago | Portland Indymedia | Democracy Now!: Canada Blocks Olympic Critic from Entering Country | Twin Cities IMC: Suppression of Independent Journalists for Widely Opposed 2010 Olympics | Rochester IMC Volunteer Detained at Canadian Border | All out against the 2010 Winter Olympic Games – Why the resistance? | 2010.mediacoop.ca

Past Indymedia Coverage on No Games Chicago: Chicago Opposition to 2016 Olympics Bid Ramps Up | Chicago Rallies Against 2016 Olympics with IOC Vote Looming | Chicago Public and Community Organizations Relieved by Lost Olympic Bid | From The Trenches coverage of April 2 IOC rally in Chicago | Chicago Independent Television feature on No Games Chicago

A delegation from the December 12th Movement and the Friday Haiti Relief Coalition departed from Kennedy Airport destined for Haiti on Monday morning. In the wake of the tremendous earthquake that shook the island nation, Black people throughout New York came together to begin their contribution to the relief process.

Photo: the water was distributed directly to the people of Leogane

RELATED: I am still very traumatized from seeing that many dead bodies. Stories from Haiti. | AID to Haiti! Not armed intervention! | Scientologists in Haiti: A Firsthand Account | Focus on Israel: Harvesting Haitian Organs | VIDEO: Naomi Klein on Haiti | Haiti: Canada's New Imperialism? | Feb. 11: Benefit for Haiti

February 7th marks the anniversary of Hampshire College's divestment from the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, the first institution of higher education to wash its hands of the systematic exploitation of the Palestinian people by the Israeli state.

Traditionally, Hampshire College has advocated for the oppressed, taking unpopular stands when others have preferred to turn away. In 1977 Hampshire College was the first college in the US to divest from Apartheid South Africa. In 2001 Hampshire was the first college to object to the war in Afghanistan."- Hampshire Students for Justice in Palestine.

The combination of an imperialist and racist mindset with defense of capitalist-imperialist material interests has led to refusal to save many thousands of dying people who could have been saved. It’s murder.

Journalist and author Naomi Klein spoke in New York last night and addressed the crisis in Haiti: "We have to be absolutely clear that this tragedy—which is part natural, part unnatural—must, under no circumstances, be used to, one, further indebt Haiti and, two, to push through unpopular corporatist policies in the interest of our corporations. This is not conspiracy theory. They have done it again and again." read more | Watch on Youtube

On Monday, the world's political and financial powerhouses met in Montreal, Canada to deliberate the future of Haiti. It was a six hour meeting between the United States (Haiti's most recent military intervener), France (Haiti's colonial ruler), and the IMF and World Bank (Haiti's financial creditors/despots). The United Nations, which is now the official security force, was also in the room, to referee the proceedings, while Canada played the role of a cordial and humanitarian host (that couldn't happen directly in the U.S.). Meanwhile... Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua boycotted the meeting along with Fidel Castro, who condemned it and accused the United States of turning the humanitarian effort into a military invasion of Haiti by the United States.