Stories about Freedom of Speech from August, 2012
Malaysia: Blackout Protest Against Internet Censorship Legislation
"#Stop114A could be Malaysia's most successful digital civil movement. Hacktivism at its best. Let's make it happen people."
Egypt: Front Page of Al Doustor's Consfiscated Issue
Bassem Sabry, from Egypt, tweets a photograph of the “controversial front page of first confiscated issue of Al-Dostour [newspaper], calling for a military-backed Turkey-like State.”
Global Voices Podcast: More From #GV2012
In this edition of the Global Voices Podcast you'll hear more from our Summit which took place in Nairobi, Kenya, back in July, including some of our contributors and selected academics from around the world were also invited to share their knowledge and learn from the community.
Mauritania: Demanding an End to Military Rule
Mauritanians took to the streets in a massive march calling for the end of their country's military rule. The march, on June 23, 2012, was organised by the Coordination of Democratic Opposition (COD). It started near the Youth Centre in the capital Nouakchott, passing by the Security Directorate and the Palace of Justice, where participants chanted for the fall of the ruling regime. The day ended with a popular rally. Ahmed Jeddou reports.
Ukraine: Authorities Shut Down BitTorrent Tracker Demonoid
In what is believed to be an attempt to please the United States without angering local voters, the Ukrainian authorities have shut down Demonoid, one of the world's largest BitTorrent tracker sites, whose servers were hosted by a data center in Kyiv.
Russia: “The True Blasphemy” – Slavoj Žižek on Pussy Riot
Russian collective “Chto Delat? // What is to be done?” published an essay by Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, who considers Pussy Riot “conceptual artists in the noblest sense of the word: artists who embody an Idea,” and fight against the cynicism of power-mongers who strive to return Russia to the...
Sri Lanka: Noose Tightens Around Online Freedom of Expression
"This new regulation could potentially and very quickly embrace personal blogs, micro-blogs (Twitter), Facebook (pages and groups) .. anyone, anywhere in Sri Lanka is now liable for prosecution at the sole discretion of (the) government."
Russia: Church, Lies, & Opulence
A controversial photo blog post recently documented the 70th jubilee of the director of a Church-owned factory, striking a raw nerve in a society charged by the Pussy Riot trial. The details of the affair speak to the ease of creating a narrative through the withholding of information -- particularly online.
Guyana: Linden Still in Crisis Following Shooting
In July, three people were killed and twenty injured in the mining town of Linden, Guyana after police fired upon a crowd protesting the increase in the electricity tariff. Nearly a month later, the area is still in a state of unrest, with bloggers suggesting that the government is not doing as much as it should.
Chile: Doubts Over Origin of Violence at Student Protests
Last Wednesday, August 8, 2012, thousands of students tried to march on the Alameda avenue in downtown Santiago in a non-authorized protest that ended up with three public transportation buses burnt. This caused the government to accuse students of fostering an environment for riots with their protests, while some protesters wondered if the thugs were actually part of a set-up.
Cuba: Freedom of Press?
Blogger, journalist and Global Voices author Elaine Díaz analyzes [es] the nuances of the different practices and definitions of freedom of press, after being interviewed for the Boston Globe.
Cuba: Celaya on Payá
On Sin EVAsion [es], Havana-based Cuban blogger Miriam Celaya comments on the death of rights advocate Oswaldo Payá: “I did not share all of Payá’s points of view, I was even critical at times of…his proposals. I would be again; but I always respected the man who created them… […]...
Brazil: Claims Under Electoral Law Lead Two Parana's Blogs to Justice
Brazilian blogger Esmael Morais writes [pt] about two blogs from the state of Paraná which have been taken to justice under accusations of disobeying electoral law: Olho Aberto Paraná and Blog do Tarso. The country is preparing the municipal elections that will take place in October, 2012.
Russia: Pussy Riot Doomed by its own Supporters?
Recent online coverage of the Pussy Riot trial makes it seem as if all of Russia is mobilized in protest against the inordinately harsh treatment the three arrested band members have received. In fact, many well-wishing bloggers continue to aggravate Riot's predicament by advocating leniency, rather than arguing with the entire premise of punishment.
Trinidad & Tobago: The Power of Words
Online reaction to a statement that one of the country's athletes should retire after not winning a medal at the London Olympics prompts West Indian Mother to examine “how we, as a society, tend to function, and how it adversely affects our children.”
Myanmar: Freedom of Press T-Shirt Protest
After three weekly journals were stopped from being published in Myanmar, journalists and editors in the country campaigned for press freedom by wearing black shirts saying “Stop Killing the Press” while they were attending events and covering the news on 4 August, 2012.
Mexico: Journalists Censored in July
A.L.S. in Vivir México [es] lists four journalists who were censored during July 2012: Pedro Ferriz de Con, Rubén Luengas, John Ackerman, and Lydia Cacho. The blogger concludes, “I think this is worrisome, because we are not just talking about journalists who have been censored, but also about journalists who...
Syria: Military Intervention or Civil War?
After the International Committee of the Red Cross announcement that it considers the conflict in Syria to be a full-blown civil war, Western media sites and bloggers have been debating the issue. Rami Alhames tunes into the conversation.
Hong Kong independent media attacked
Four men wearing masks entered Inmedia offices today and smashed all computers. Inmedia is well-known for releasing stories that inconvenience Hong Kong and China authorities.
Tunisia: Activist Lina Ben Mhenni Attacked by Police
When Tunisian activist and blogger Ben Mhenni attended a pacifist sit-in to protest against the Ennahda-led government in the capital Tunis on August 5, 2012, the last thing she expected was to be savagely beaten by those who are supposed to preserve law and order. The police and not just one but 10 of them attacked her. In a blog post entitled "Assaulted by the cops", Ben Mhenni recounts her story.
Qatar: Student Activism “for Cafeterias and Covered Car Parks”
Universities are renowned for being the epicenter of student activism. Qatari Esraa Al Meftah talks about how Qatari university students' only form of activism is in asking for "opening cafeterias on campus and installing car shades in the student parking lots."
