· August, 2012

Stories about Protest from August, 2012

Pakistan: Conflicting Reports in #SaveRimsha Blasphemy Case

  31 August 2012

The blasphemy law in Pakistan has been the focus of a heated debate yet again, after a minor christian girl named Rimsha was accused of blasphemy and was sent to jail. There have been a few conflicting reports about the case, and the most significant one being a picture of a girl being used, that has now become the face of the #SaveRimsha campaign.

Russia: Moscow's Peculiar Illegal Parking Problem

RuNet Echo  31 August 2012

Russian adventures and misadventures in parking could be a movie plot. But Russia’s parking problems are anything but comedy. It remains to be seen how vigorously the country will deal with illegal parking. If it succeeds, its methods could show what kind of transportation system and cities Russia will have, and even what kind of country it will be.

Russia: Chainsaws to the Cross

RuNet Echo  29 August 2012

On August 25, unknown parties sawed down three wooden crosses in the city of Chelyabinsk, in the Urals. The same night, another cross came down in Arkhangelsk, in the north. Was it a copycat political statement, or a dire plot by the Kremlin to sow discord?

Russia: Protesters Aim for Elected Office

RuNet Echo  28 August 2012

In the lead up to Russia's next large protests planned for mid-September, activists and politicians of the anti-Kremlin opposition are increasingly showing an interest in running for local offices. If successful at the ballot box, could this trend bestow valuable "real world" political experience on Russia's protesters?

Hong Kong: Occupy Central – Before Forced Eviction

  27 August 2012

The Occupy Central campaign in Hong Kong has lasted for more than 10 months and is probably one of the longest among the worldwide occupy movement. Recently the HSBC obtained a court order to evict the occupants by 9 pm, 27 August, 2012.

Senegal: 18 Dead as Floods Paralyse the Country

  27 August 2012

Heavy rains led to catastrophic flooding in many regions of Senegal on August 26, 2012 with 18 dead and 42 injured so far. The Senegal government has launched a rescue plan with the help of French organisation Orsec to assist victims. Many locals on the ground feel rescue efforts have not been started quickly enough, leading to angry demonstrations on the streets of Dakar.

Togo: Sex Strike to Push for Reforms

  27 August 2012

Icilome.com writes [fr] about the ongoing protests in Lomé, Togo : The lawyer Isabelle Améganvi of the ANC [National Alliance for Change] in Togo has officially stated that “the Togolese women had decided to observe a sex strike from Monday on to compel men to push for changes in Togo. “

Russia: Senator Wants 15 Years in Prison for Hackers

RuNet Echo  26 August 2012

In the aftermath of a hacker attack on the court that convicted Pussy Riot's 3 members, Kremlin youth group organizer and Senator Ruslan Gattarov [ru] has proposed [ru] making criminal penalties stricter for those who target government websites. Gattarov suggests equating hacks with illegal physical occupations of government buildings, which carry a...

Russia: Pussy Riot's Courthouse Is Hacked By Anonymous

RuNet Echo  25 August 2012

On August 21, just days after Moscow's Khamovnicheskii Court sentenced the 3 members of Pussy Riot to 2 years in prison, hackers attacked and vandalized [ru] the court's official website [ru]. Hackivist groups self-identifying as “Anonymous” claimed responsibility and also leaked [ru] some internal (though largely uncontroversial) emails. Popular blogger Anton Nosik condemned [ru] the attack,...

Iran: Detained Green Movement Leader Moved to Hospital

Mir Hossein Mousavi, a key Iranian Green Movement leader, who was a reformist candidate in the 2009 presidential elections and eventually the leader of the opposition in the post-election unrest, has been moved to the hospital for "heart problem." Mousavi has been under house arrest for about 520 days.