It saddens us greatly here at Souldish that just as we’re saying hello again to all of you with the relaunch of our site, we must say goodbye to an old friend. On October 27, Brad Will was killed covering the five-month long teacher strike in Oaxaca City, Mexico. Continuing his long-term career in fighting for social justice, Brad had spent the last six weeks in Oaxaca, collecting photographs and video footage for Indymedia. Tensions grew in recent weeks as thousands of locals joined the teacher strike, creating a popular uprising against the politically corrupt PRI governor Ulisis Ortiz Ruiz.

In the late afternoon of October 27th, a university radio station controlled by the protestors reported that shots were being fired at a barricade blocking the city. Will rushed over to the scene. According to protest leader, Flavio Sosa, 30 government operatives armed with large-caliber weapons attacked the street barricade, firing into the crowd, killing Brad. A teacher and a nearby resident were also killed in the shootout.

Here in NYC, friends are currently planning a memorial service for Brad. SD will post details as they come.

– As for now, I can’t help but remember the first time I met Brad. It was at the IMF/World Bank protests in Prague (2000). He was organizing demonstrators through the smoky chaos, bravely riding a BMX bike through the baton-swinging police and the tear-gassed mists to make sure everyone got adequate legal assistance and medical attention.

That image has always made an impression on me, but it was just one moment in a lifetime of social justice work for Brad. Anyone will tell you that he always followed his beliefs and his passions, right to the very end.

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