Stories about Digital Activism from November, 2011
Russia: PM Putin Gets Booed – “End of an Era” or “Wishful Thinking”?
When Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stepped out to congratulate Mixed Martial Arts champion Fedor Emelianenko on November 20, he was visibly taken aback when he received a less than warm response from Moscow spectators. Donna Welles reports.
Peru: Iquitos Against the Chaos Caused by Sewage Works
The beautiful and warm city of Iquitos, in the Loreto region, is going through several problems; the most worrying and annoying for the inhabitants is the chaos caused by controversial sewage works. Citizens are using social networks to organize and demand a solution.
Russia: Kostroma Police Closes Discussion Board For Criticising Governor
The server of the Kostroma-based discussion board “Kostroma Jedis” (jedi.net.ru) had been confiscated by the police on November 16, 2011 (see police acts here [ru] and here [ru]). The website,...
Belarus: Petition to Halt Execution of Minsk Subway Blast Convicts
Over 18,000 people have already signed the “Innocent until proven guilty! 15 days left to stop the Belarussian executions” petition, posted on The Petition Site, demanding to halt the Nov....
China: Nude Protest
Chinese netizens post their nude pictures on the internet after Beijing police started investigating dissident-artist Ai Weiwei for spreading pornography online. (Via Shanghaiist)
Ukraine: Starbucks, Social Media Marketing, and “Language Issue”
Tetyana Bohdanova writes about social media marketing and the "language issue" in Ukraine - and a recent scandal caused by what turned out to be a fake Facebook page of Starbucks.
Ukraine: Netizens Appeal to Lithuanian President to Postpone Her Visit
Ukrainian netizens drafted an open letter to the Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, asking her to postpone her visit to Ukraine, currently scheduled for Nov. 22, the seventh anniversary of the...
Egypt: Have Activists and Journalists Been Targeted in Tahrir Square Clearing?
Tear gas, rubber bullets and bird shots were used today, injuring scores of people, to clear Tahrir Square of protesters. Egyptians on Twitter were both sad and angry for what happened, accusing the new rulers of Egypt of targeting activists.
UAE: Female Twitter User Rowda Hamed Summoned for Interrogation
Female Twitter user Rowda Hamed, from the UAE, tweeted saying that she has been summoned for interrogation. She is one of the few Twitter users from the country who support five detained activists who recently went on hunger strike.
Morocco: Call to Free Rapper Haked
In Morocco, a call has gone out for netizens to join in a campaign to free jailed rapper Haked. Mamfakinch tweets: “Help free Moroccan democracy activist & rapper Mouad Haked....
Spain: Creative Counter-Campaign Spreads on the Net
Spain's general elections campaign this Sunday has an entirely different online version. The digital counter-campaign, propelled by the 15-M movement, is hyperactive and rapidly spreading through social networks.
Pakistan: SMS Filtration Good Or Bad?
Pakistani blogger Rebz discusses about the merits and demerits of the new SMS filtration step taken by the Pakistan Telecom Authority.
Brazil: Real State Speculation Threatens Sacred Ground
Sagrada Terra Especulada (Sacred Speculated Ground), a Brazilian collective that advocates for indigenous land rights, is promoting a documentary [pt] and a petition [pt] in defense of the Pajé Sanctuary,...
USA: Will Occupy Oakland Activist “Pancho” Be Deported?
Francisco "Pancho" Ramos-Stierle was arrested while meditating at the Oscar Grant Plaza during a raid on the Occupy Oakland, in California, encampment on November 14. After intense public pressure, all criminal charges have been dropped but he still faces deportation.
Yemen: Reuters Yields to the Power of Twitter!
Yemeni netizens scored big time when their Twitter campaign 'Shame on Reuters' pressured the international news organisation to stop its stringer Muhammad Sudam, who has also been the Yemeni President's personal translator and secretary since 2009, from reporting.
Crisis Camp Italy: Using Web 2.0 to Manage Emergencies
Mapping, geolocalization, citizen journalism, data management: just some of the topics to be discussed in Bologna on 19 November at Crisis Camp. The first Italian meeting about collaborative tools for emergencies.
Ukraine: Photoshopped Chuck Norris and the Ukrainian Language Day
On Nov. 9, Ukrainian netizens marked the Ukrainian Language Day – UA Day 2011 [uk] – by posting and tweeting exclusively in Ukrainian. Cherkasy-based Fedir Gontsa [uk] decided to draw...
Bulgaria: Protest Against Shale Gas Extraction
The Nov. 16 protest against Chevron's extraction of shale gas in northeast Bulgaria had been organized through Facebook event. The poster on this photo reads: “Why did you sign, Boyko...
United States: Unexpected Eviction of Occupy Wall Street Protest
On the morning of November 15, New Yorkers woke up to news that police forces had evicted Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti Park without prior notice. As usual, various opinions continue to circulate in the blogosphere and social networks.
India: A Murder Convict's Parole Stirs Up Controversy
The Delhi High Court's decision to grant parole to Mr. Manu Sharma - currently serving life imprisonment for the murder of Jessica Lal - has led to public outrage in India. Netizens are engaged in heated discussions online on this issue.
Brazil: Toxic Documentary on the Amazon
Brazilian journalist Felipe Milanez (@felipedjeguaka) published [pt, en] a documentary about the Amazon in the series Toxic – “the various ways in which we detonate our planet” – of the...
