The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid and Women in Solidarity with Palestine have launched a protest against the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), for their exhibition of the looted Dead Sea Scrolls. For past two weeks, they have conduced successful protests (see video, pictures and media coverage below).

Philippa Hawker, The Age, July 18, 2009 – ENGLISH filmmaker Ken Loach has withdrawn his film Looking for Eric from the Melbourne International Film Festival because the festival receives funding from the Israeli Government.

12 July 2009 – PACBI has been heartened by the untiring efforts of BDS activists in the US and UK in organizing demonstrations and pickets at Leonard Cohen’s performances in advance of his planned concert in Tel Aviv later this summer. 

Open letter, Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, 7 July 2009

The following open letter was sent to the Melbourne International Film Festival by the The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) on 5 July 2009: