Stories about Protest from May, 2010
Russia: Photos and Live Tweets of the Dispersal of the “Day of Dissent”
Bloggers nl [RUS], zyalt [RUS], Igor Podgorny [RUS] post pictures of the dispersal of today's “Day of Dissent” that is conducted on the 31st day of the month in order to celebrate 31st article of the Russian Constitution [EN] (freedom of assembly). Abstract2001 reports [RUS] at least 25 people arrested,...
MENA: Rage after Israel Attacks Gaza-bound Flotilla
Emotions are running high across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), after Israel attacked a peaceful flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza - and the Twittersphere is ablaze. Also, are tweets commenting on the situation being censored?
Japan: Okinawans vent frustration over Futenma
Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama has backtracked on promises to reduce the presence of American military forces in Okinawa, and inhabitants of the prefecture are furious. In blogs, they express their disappointment and rage against the failed Japan-U.S. negotiations.
Pakistan: Netizens Demand End To Internet Censorship
Sana Saleem at Mystified Justice posts a plea by the netizens to the Pakistani government to end the ongoing Internet censorship and intimidation in the country.
The Balkans: Violent Treatment of Animals
Almost every day, dogs or cats are exposed to torture by cruel people who record their cruelties and publish the videos on the internet. Since the war, crime and various forms of violence have become a regular occurrence in the Balkans region.
Jamaica: Mapping the state of emergency
Citiizen media initiative On The Ground News Reports creates a Google maps-based “situation map” to record incidents related to the state of emergency in Jamaica.
Russia: Bloggers Cover Moscow Gay Pride Parade
LJ-user Zyalt published [RUS] pictures from Moscow gay pride parade [EN] that took place despite it the ban by Moscow authorities. The event organizers had to change its location several times. Other pictures of the parade, which was just a few minutes long, can be found here, here and here.
Russian “Little Blue Buckets” Movement Reaches Ukraine
Ukraine-based feminist organization “FEMEN” [EN] conducted an action [ENG] in support of the Russian online movement “Little Blue Buckets” [ENG] and against the “unification of Russia and Ukraine under Kremlin patronage.” Activists with their breasts painted in blue tried to rally near the building of the Russian embassy in Kiev,...
Iran: Two Bloggers and Student Leader on Hunger Strike in Prison
Two bloggers and one leading student activist - deprived of their pen and blogs in an Iranian prison - are now using a hunger strike to protest prison conditions and defend their rights.
Jamaica: Latest Updates
Twitter has been buzzing with the latest developments regarding Jamaica's state of emergency. Things began to look "much better" late yesterday: wanted men were turning themselves in, one international mainstream television station was reportedly going to "apologise for [its] 'inaccurate report'" (although some tweeple were of the opinion that "an apology [was] not enough") and all seemed quiet in areas that had previously been fierce battlegrounds.
Russia: Taking Children as a New Method of Pressure on Journalists
Children of Galina Dmitrieva, an oppositionary journalist and activist, were taken by Russian police after she published an investigation about Russian car manufacturer Avtovaz [EN], Anatoliy Baranov reported [RUS]. After instant blog-campaign her children were returned. Blogger Marina Litvinovich suggests [RUS] this method was used before against at least one oppositionary journalist.
Jamaica: Situation Improving?
Four days into the state of emergency imposed on the Jamaican capital, the situation is becoming clearer - not simply in terms of statistics - but in understanding the chain of events that led to the current impasse. There are also reports that life in the capital city may slowly be returning to normal.
Russia: “Circassian Nationalism and the Internet”
At OpenDemocracy.net, Zeynel Abidin Besleney writes about “the role played by the internet as a lifeline linking otherwise isolated activists and communities and reinforcing the Circassian nationalist cause.”
Russia: Coalmine Disaster Victims’ Families vs Thugs?
Vadim Nikitin comments on “this week’s unprecedented measure to provide each widow of the [May 9] mine explosion victims with police protection to ward off attacks from organised criminals after their compensation payouts.”
Jamaica: Bloggers Look at the Lighter Side
West Indians have a saying, "If you don't laugh, you'll cry." Certainly, the current wave of violence in Jamaica - is nothing to laugh about. But after days of sobering news, bloggers clearly needed to seek out the amusing aspects of an otherwise untenable situation.
Bloggers React to Gunfights and Change in Government in Madagascar
Gunfights in Antananarivo and yet another change in the government shook Madagascar the past week. Bloggers react:
Egypt: On Street Activists and Citizen Journalists
Between online activists, citizen journalists, and street demonstrators, it seems that the cause lost it's purpose and the Internet turned into a soundproof room for cursing and cussing. Marwa Rakha takes a closer look at online activism and its relationship to events on the ground.
Southeast Asia: Reactions to Thailand protests
The violent confrontations between the heavily armed soldiers and Red Shirt protesters in Thailand in the past week have stunned the world. What are the reactions of bloggers from neighbouring Southeast Asian nations?
Egypt: Parliament Votes to Extend Emergency Law
The Egyptian Parliament decision to extend state-sanctioned emergency rule for another two years garnered international criticism and domestic backlash, as the law gives exclusive right to the Ministry of the Interior to detain suspects without charge, monitor communications and wiretap contact networks, restrict newspaper content and impede political assembly and demonstration. Bloggers react to the development.
Russia: Video of a Man With a ‘Little Blue Bucket’ Attacking Government Car Raises Controversy
A viral video [RUS] of a man with a little blue bucket [EN] on his head attacking a government car near Kremlin has been distributed recently in the Russian blogosphere. The action is considered to be a part of the protests against government cars using emergency vehicle lighting [EN] (“migalki”). However, the...
Iran: Economic problems and Green Movement
Culturallogic writes [fa] that Green Movement should learn lesson from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's humiliation in Khoramshar where protesters chanted “we are unemployed” during his speech. The blogger asks Green Movement talks about Iran's economic problems.
