Stories about Politics from August, 2012
Syria: #InMySyria the Streets Will Be Full of Freedom
Syrian netizens are dreaming of a new dawn for their country, where people breathe freedom, live in equality and sectarianism is a thing of the past. Check out their vision for the future under the hash tag #InMySyria on Twitter.
Puerto Rico: Digital “No” Campaign Takes Off
The campaign in favour of voting “no” to the limitation on the right of bail in Puerto Rico's coming referendum on August 19 has taken off on the Internet. The feminist blog Mujeres en Puerto Rico [es] (“Women in Puerto Rico”) and the Facebook page No es lo mismo [es] (“It's not the same”) are...
Tunisia: Sidi Bouzid Rises. . . Again
Sidi Bouzid, the Tunisian city which sparked the wave of Arab revolutions more than a year and a half ago, is once again simmering with a new wave of protests. Economic, social and political woes are moving the masses, who are showing increasing discontent with the current government.
Syria: Assad Arrests Alawite Activists
Syrian Darth Nader tweets: “Arrest of tens of Alawite activists by Assad regime for organizing relief efforts for those under siege in #Homs, #Syria.” Assad himself is of the Alawite sect.
Yemen: Journalist Mohammed Al Qadhi Arrested while Covering Clashes
Adam Baron tweets: “Alarming news via his Facebook: Yemeni journalist @mohammedalqadhi apparently arrested today while covering clashes at the min of def #yemen”
Caribbean: Regional Sports Academy?
Following the success of the Caribbean region at the London Olympics, there is now talk of “a single sports academy…located in Jamaica, and funded by all the governments and private sectors of the Caribbean Community”, to which Weblog Bahamas’ Rick Lowe quips, “Come on.”
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.”
Saudi Arabia: Defending the Virtue of Syrian Women?
On August 11, Bader Al Domiat from Saudi Arabia tweeted a message saying there were around 300 Syrian widows looking for husbands. The message caused outrage among Saudi netizens who apologized from their Syrian brothers and harshly condemned Al Domiat, who immediately suspended his account.
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: Moscow's Intelligentsia on Trial in Tver?
While this summer's 'hooliganism' charges against Pussy Riot have enjoyed the spotlight at home and abroad, there is another trial that perhaps reveals even more about tensions in modern Russian society. That is the case against Ilya Farber, a schoolteacher and eccentric recently sentenced to 8 years in prison and fined 3.2 million rubles for exhorting bribes from a building contractor.
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...
Russia: Egyptian Graffiti Artist on Freedom for Pussy Riot
Egyptian political activist and graffiti artist Ganzeer writes [en] about the Pussy Riot case: “[…] the consequences of freeing Pussy Riot may be mistaken for a fair and liberal Russian judiciary system, which is clearly not the case. […] Pussy Riot's actions are all about exposing the reality of Russia's...
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."
China's New ‘Black Five’ Categories – Social Threat or Core Strength?
During the Cultural Revolution in China, the term 'Five Black Categories' was used as a political label for cracking down on five social and political groups. Recently Chinese state media revived the political labels to describe human rights lawyers, underground churches and religions, dissidents, online opinion leaders and social minorities.
Togo: Demanding a proper rule of law and a fair share of the country's wealth
Analysing the resignation from government of the PM Houngbo, Mathias Akoulansa wrote on togoforum.com: “In any case, the Togolese political experience of the last 22 years has shown that the Togolese people are consistent in their demands: a proper rule of law, responsible of management and equal sharing of wealth...
Ghana: President's Funeral in Pictures
Nana Kofi Acquah shares photos of the funeral of Ghanaian President: “I promised to update my blog with more pictures from today's funeral and here they are.”
Argentina: Football, the ‘Evita Cup’ and New Security Measures
Following the violence at football matches, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner signed an agreement with the Argentine Football Association to control the entry to stadiums. She also proposed a new name for this year's Argentine Football Championship.
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.
Trinidad & Tobago: Dark Cloud, Gold Lining
Heavy floods pounded the northwestern part of Trinidad yesterday morning, as two rivers burst their banks following torrential rains from a tropical depression. But the nation's spirits were to be lifted - at least for a while - as the country won Olympic gold for the second time in its history, thanks to the efforts of Keshorn Walcott in the Javelin Throw.
