· July, 2012

Stories about Protest from July, 2012

Iran: Pro-Ahmadinejad Blogger Jailed

"What a world and judiciary we have, Ahmad was arrested just for writing and supporting his country's president" - Ahmad Shariat is behind bars. Other pro-Ahmadinejad bloggers have also been hounded by Tehran prosecutor’s office for criticizing associates of the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

31 July 2012

Guyana: Linden Protests

Imran Khan explores the roots of the Linden Protests and concludes that the recent electricity rate hike is merely the latest in a long series of “economic and social hardships”...

31 July 2012

Guatemala: Mining Community Organizes Peoples’ Health Tribunal

For years, the community of San Miguel Ixtahuacán in Guatemala has been denouncing the negative consequences of Goldcorp's Marlin gold mine. On July 14 and 15, members of the community joined other international organizations to form a 'Peoples' International Health Tribunal.' In the first post in this two-part series, we introduce the Health Tribunal and also highlight the local efforts of the San Miguel Ixtahuacán community .

31 July 2012

Philippines: New Mining Policy Stirs Debate

Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino's new Executive Order 79 on mining has drawn criticism from environmentalists, church people, peasant groups, and various other sectors. The Philippines has one of the largest mineral deposits in the world

31 July 2012

Ethiopia: Messages of Solidarity from Christians for Muslims

Messages of unity from Ethiopian Christians have gone viral in the Ethiopian digital public as Ethiopian Muslims persistently kept their peaceful protest in a bid to end government’s meddling in their religious affairs. A multitude of Christians have changed their Facebook status by announcing their allegiance with Ethiopian Muslims.

31 July 2012

Taiwan: Threat of Media Monopoly and Power Abuse

Taiwanese civil society is worried that the acquisition of cable TV services by Want Want China Times would result in political censorship, in particular on mainland China news. A recent staged scandal against a scholar leading the campaign against the acquisition has shown the public the devastating effect of media monopoly and abusive use of media power.

30 July 2012

Mauritania: Diplomat Sets Himself Alight

A few minutes before Iftar, Hassan Ould Abba, a Mauritanian diplomat who used to work as an advisor at the Mauritanian Embassy in Kuwait, set himself alight in the district of Ksar, North of the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott. An ambulance rushed to rescue him, but he passed away upon arrival at hospital. Ahmed Ould Jedou summarizes online reactions.

30 July 2012

China: ‘Violent’ Pipeline Protest in Qidong

Violence that broke out during a protest against a pipeline construction project in China's Qidong province has split opinion online. The project would channel wastewater from a Japanese owned paper mill into the sea and has raised environmental concerns.

29 July 2012

Reasons to Boycott the Olympics?

With any major event, there are both celebrating and dissenting voices. The Olympics is no exception, and there are bloggers from across the world making their voices heard on why they will be boycotting London 2012.

28 July 2012

Tajikistan: Telecoms Blackout Amidst Provincial Clashes

Amidst deadly clashes in the eastern Tajik province of Gorno-Badakhshan, the authorities have cut Internet, mobile, and landline connection to the region. Online people are sharing information via social media and trying to draw international attention to the situation on the ground.

28 July 2012

Russia: Paving Political Potholes

RuNet Echo

Say the word "roads" to most Russians, and you are likely to end up with a half-hour discussion. Throughout history, Russia has been infamous for its bad road quality. However, now the city of Yekaterinburg seems to have come up with a solution to the problem, by making bureaucrats get down to work.

28 July 2012

Cuba: Rights Activists Beaten, Detained by Police at Payá Funeral

Rights activists and foreign media in Cuba reported on July 23 that Cuban state police detained nearly 50 individuals as they departed from funeral services for Oswaldo Payá, leader of the famed Varela Project and a winner of the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for human rights and democracy. Among those detailed were Guillermo Fariñas and Antonio Rodiles.

27 July 2012

Russia: The Killing of Krutov

RuNet Echo

The June 29 murder of Svetloyarsk Raion administration head Nikolay Krutov was a blip on that day’s news. It was not unprecedented, but unraveling why the crime was committed (and what it means) is anything but straightforward.

26 July 2012

Syria: Weapons and Combat Tutorials Online

Syrian rebels turn to a YouTube channel called 'Free Syrian Army Help' for training. The channel has 80 videos explaining tactics like hand-to-hand combat, how-to-make flame-throwers, and ambushing an enemy.

25 July 2012