Stories about Protest from September, 2012
Bangladesh: Attacks on Indigenous Unsettle Chittagong Peace
A series of attacks on indigenous people have unsettled the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Bloggers reckon that these attacks were planned and were politically motivated.
Dominican Republic: Mobilization Against Teen Pregnancy
Different civil organizations and state institutions facilitated spaces for dialogue about the issue of teen pregnancy and supported various demonstrations in favor of measures to reduce the incidence of the problem.
Vietnam: Government Jails Three ‘Dissident’ Bloggers
Three Vietnamese bloggers have been convicted by a local court for allegedly spreading anti-government propaganda. One of them will serve a prison term of 12 years. Human rights groups immediately condemned the verdict and warned against the creeping online repression in the country.
Azerbaijan: Youth Activist Believed Arrested
Emin Milli's Blog comments on the apparent disappearance of a youth activist in Azerbaijan. The blog says it believes Zaur Gurbanly's believed arrest was because of anti-presidential leaflets that were also confiscated.
Russia: Nation's Top Blogger Headed to Prison?
Eastern & Central Europe29 September 2012The criminal investigation targeting Russia's most prominent oppositionist blogger, Alexey Navalny, is heating up. Viacheslav Opalev, the former director of a logging firm in Kirov, has confessed [ru] to participating in the embezzlement of 16 million rubles (over half a million U.S. dollars), and named Navalny as the scheme's mastermind.
Portugal: Unionists Take to the Streets in Protest
Following the biggest popular protest of the last decades in Portugal, on September 15, 2012, every week people have been taking to the streets. More demonstrations were called for September 29, “against the theft of wages, pensions and retirements” by the union confederation CGTP. On Twitter hashtags #29s, #29sPT –...
Ukraine: Protesting the Controversial Defamation Bill
A bill that calls for penalties of up to five years in jail for defamation passed a first reading in the Ukrainian Parliament on Sep. 18. Following the online campaign against the adoption of the bill, its author submitted a request to recall it. The bill isn't history yet, however, and the protest continues.
Spain: Creative Alternatives to an Economy in Crisis
Since the start of the crisis that continues to embroil Spain's economy, many Spaniards have opted out of that economic model and instead created viable alternatives to their economy in crisis, such as networks for sharing goods and services or new systems and currencies that promote responsible consumption.
Russia: The Kostin Report & the Trojan Horse of American ICT
Eastern & Central Europe28 September 2012Earlier this week, the media got a sneak peek at a new report on the foreign penetration of the RuNet and the potential manipulation of the country's future elections. The Internet's growing popularity is transforming it into a political weapon: a weapon that is increasingly guarded by American, albeit private, media firms.
Czech Republic: Roma Resist Evictions in Ostrava
This summer, Přednádraží, a small neighborhood in Ostrava, has been the site of an intense struggle against unlawful evictions of the predominantly Roma residents. Daniela Kantorova reports on the history of the area and ongoing struggle of its residents.
Iran: President Ahmadinejad's Men in Trouble
As President Ahmadinejad addressed the UN General Assembly on September 26, a foreign ministry spokesperson was attacked by protesters in New York and a government press adviser was arrested in Iran.
Spain: Proposed Changes for Abortion Law
The 28th of September is the celebration of the Campaign for the Legalization of Abortion, which has taken place for years in Latin America and the Caribbean and this year will be celebrated all around the world for the first time. The group known as“Feminismos 15M”[es] has chosen this date...
Georgia: A Caucasian Abu Ghraib
Eva Anderson, a Senior Analyst with Transparency International, examines the recent prison abuse video scandal in Georgia as the country prepares for crucial 1 October Parliamentary Elections. The blog post in particular looks at the penitentiary system and the urgent need for reform.
Peru: Activists Begin “Civic Crusade” in Defense of the Nanay River
In our first post in this tree-part series we briefly introduced some water-related issues in Iquitos, and later presented the controversy generated by the transnational Conoco Phillips and their exploration and search for hydrocarbons in the Nanay River basin. In this post we continue addressing the issue and discuss how organizations like the Water Committee are fighting this problem.
Uruguay: Legislators Move Forward Bill to Depenalize Abortion
After 14 hours of intense debate, Uruguay’s Chamber of Deputies voted 50 to 49 in favor of depenalizing abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Twitter was abuzz during the whole day as Uruguayans shared their opinions on abortion and the bill under debate.
China: University's Stability Maintenance Instructions on Diaoyu Islands Dispute
Anne Henochowicz from China Digital Times translated a stability maintenance instructions from within an university from Shaanxi province which demands teachers and staffs from various departments to monitor students’ sentiment on the Diaoyu Islands disputes and prevent “rumors” from spreading.
Hungary: Parliament Forced to Take Domestic Violence Seriously
Despite initial setbacks, the Hungarian public has succeeded in convincing the Parliament to treat the issue of domestic violence seriously.
Algeria: Calls for Anti-US Protests Fall on Deaf Ears
Western embassies were targeted by protesters in many Arab nations after an anti-Islamic movie trailer was published online. Yet calls for protests in the capital of Algeria, Algiers, went mostly unnoticed.
Russia: Writers Put Down Pens to Stand Atop Soap Boxes
Eastern & Central Europe25 September 2012Now, nine people who self-identify as writers are running in the elections for the so-called "Coordinating Council of the Russian Opposition," and a tenth strongly considered registering as a candidate before ultimately dropping out. Bearing in mind that writing is not the most popular of professions, this is a hefty proportion of the total.
Mexico: Scientist and Activist Disappears, Family Fears Authorities’ Involvement
Aleph Jiménez, an activist and scientist, has gone missing in México after denouncing police repression following his arrest for participating in a political protest. Two of his colleagues have appeared dead. Family fears authorities are involved.
