· February, 2009

Stories about Protest from February, 2009

Martinique and Guadeloupe: Vocabulary of the general strike

  28 February 2009

le blog de [moi] [Fr] discusses how a new vocabulary has entered into the creoles of Guadeloupe and Martinique since the beginning of the general strike: “What was really surprising (and for me, I admit, a little unsettling) was to see how in interviews, men and woman on the street...

Armenia: 1 March Anniversary

  28 February 2009

Dispatches from Armenia comments on tomorrow's first anniversary of the post-election clashes which left eight opposition supporters and two policemen dead. The blog calls the incident a slaughter at the hands of the authorities.

USA: Activists Incensed after Fatal Shooting by Police

  28 February 2009

Several people recorded mobile phone videos of a police officer shooting and killing a young man named Oscar Grant on a train platform in Oakland, California, on January 1. Since then, citizen media have been central in the ensuing campaigns for justice.

Armenia: 1 March post-election clash anniversary

  27 February 2009

As the opposition prepares to mark the 1 March post-election clashes which left at least 10 dead, The Armenian Observer says tensions are increasing in the capital, Yerevan. Meanwhile, writing for the Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor comments on the release of two damning human rights reports...

Guadeloupe: Police “Blunder”?

  26 February 2009

Amidst the confusion of the month-long social conflict in Guadeloupe, two nights of violence took place on February 17th and 18th. Apart from acts of arson in shops and numerous burning roadblocks, the climax of these violent clashes has been the as-yet unsolved assassination of a man. Trikess, who blogs...

Martinique: Violent clashes in Fort de France

  26 February 2009

Martinican bloggers Imaniyé and Bondamanjak both note the recent degradation of the social conflict in Martinique, as clashes between the police and young people took place in the capital city of Fort-de-France, on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Jamaica, Guyana: Action or Reaction?

  26 February 2009

Both Active Voice [Jamaica] and Guyanese blogger C.D. Valere (writing at Baiganchoka) continue the discussion about recent attempts by the Jamaican Broadcasting Commission to “clean up” the airwaves.

Bangladesh: Citizen Journalists Covering BDR Mutiny

  25 February 2009

Today morning Dhaka was rattled by a fierce gun battle inside the headquarters of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR – paramilitary border security force) situated in the heart of the capital. Rumors had started to fly and later it emerged that junior officers have taken control and locked up seniors officers in...

Egypt: Philip Rizk's Four Days in Detention

  25 February 2009

A day after publishing “Egypt: More activists and bloggers arrested” on Global Voices Online, news of Philip Rizk's detention spread like wildfire around the world - and the blogger and activist was finally released. Lasto Adri visits Rizk's blog, where he writes about his ordeal and that of another blogger Diaa Gad, who was arrested on the same day and still remains behind bars today.

Egypt: Police Crack Down on Student Demonstration

  25 February 2009

The 21th of February 1946 marks a shameful memory in the modern Egyptian history. On that day, hundreds of students demonstrating on the movable Abbas Bridge were either shot dead or drowned in the Nile, after British officials ordered to open fire, before finally deciding to open the bridge. Since then, this day has been commemorated at the Egyptian Students National Day. Lasto Adri rounds up blogger reactions to this year's events - and how police crackdown on protests by students demanding for reforms on campus.

Hong Kong: Defending freedom of speech

  24 February 2009

On 22 Feb 09, more than a hundred Hong Kong people took on the street to voice out their concerns about the alarming shrinking of freedom of speech in Hong Kong. The protest was proposed by the Citizens’ Radio and supported by other democratic institutions including Save RTHK Campaign, Hong...

New Zealand: Blog ‘Blackout’ protest stalls anti-pirating law

  24 February 2009

A large swatch of New Zealand’s political blogosphere shut down its websites for a half-day on Monday, February 23 in protest of a copyright law that could have required internet service providers from disconnecting users who download pirated materials like movies or music

Armenia: Nationalist agitation in Georgia

  23 February 2009

Writing on the new Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus Regional Editor reports on plans to hold a demonstration outside the Georgian Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia. The blog says that local nationalists with the possible backing of Moscow might be seeking to destabilize Armenia's northern neighbor.

Iran:Persian blogs on Bluehost in trouble

  23 February 2009

In Kamangir we read: “Blue Host, the hosting service which is used for this very blog, and the number one recommendation for WordPress hosting by WordPress itself, has adopted a policy of suspending its Iranian users. In some cases the bloggers have been given a short notice in order to...

Madagascar: A Resolution to the political crisis?

  22 February 2009

In Madagascar, bloggers react to a recent meeting where rivals President Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina agreed to a political truce, paving the way for further negotiations. Weeks of public protests and violent crackdowns have left dozens dead.