· April, 2012

Stories about Digital Activism from April, 2012

Russia: Gun Rights Advocates Rally Around Tula Hero

RuNet Echo

Russian gun ownership laws are long and restrictive. In early April, when a small-scale farmer in Tula used a kitchen knife to kill three armed robbers that threatened him and his family, the incident sparked a new dialogue about gun rights and self-defense in Russia.

30 April 2012

Cuba: Resorting to Hunger Strike

Cuban netizens, primarily from the diaspora, are once again blogging about instances of police abuse in the country and how the island's justice system routinely makes hunger-strikers out of prisoners of conscience.

25 April 2012

Bahamas: Elections Getting Closer

With just two weeks to go until the country's general elections, the Bahamian blogosphere has been filled with political discussion. Blogworld yesterday compiled her usual Twitter Weekly Updates, which gave a good overview of the issues being discussed.

23 April 2012

Russia: Anti-Drug Activist Identifies Corrupt Moscow Police in Sverdlovsk

RuNet Echo

Controversial activist Evgeny Roizman originally made a name for himself by establishing a non-profit fund called “A City without Drugs.” The fund both treats drug addiction and targets dealers, albeit using somewhat vigilante methods. Writing in his LiveJournal account, Roizman is now at the forefront of publicizing a police corruption scandal in Sverdlovsk Oblast.

21 April 2012

Portugal: ‘You Cannot Evict an Idea’ Without Borders

The violent eviction of a self-managed community center in Porto by the police, on April 19, triggered a wave of solidarity beyond the borders of the neighborhood of Fontinha, left to oblivion for years. Sympathy is coming from many cities in Portugal and beyond, following the motto "you can not evict an idea".

21 April 2012

Mexico City Netizens Celebrate World Bicycle Day

Netizens in Mexico City are celebrating World Bicycle Day by sharing their cycling experiences through blogs and Twitter. They are also trying to raise awareness about the risks of using bicycles as a means of transportation is such a busy city.

19 April 2012