Stories about Protest from March, 2010
“Damas de Blanco:” A Week of Protest in Cuba
Cuba's Damas de Blanco protests come on the heels of a flutter of international condemnation incited by the hunger striker Orlando Zapata Tamayo's death last month. Wednesday's crackdown by Cuban police was the first in two years on the political group, which is made up of the daughters, wives and mothers of imprisoned political dissidents.
Russia: “Battle for Khimki Forest”
A detailed account of the ongoing “battle for Khimki Forest” – by Yevgeniya Chirikova at OpenDemocracy.net: “The plan to construct a section of the new Moscow-St.Petersburg motorway through the legally-protected Khimki Forest Park will destroy a rare eco-system. Dogged local resistance has turned this into a national, even international issue....
Russia: Andrei Loshak's Text on Corruption
Andrei Loshak's much-discussed text about corruption and “the normal functioning of an irrational system” in Russia has been translated into English by OpenDemocracy.net (the Russian-language original is at OpenSpace.ru).
Cuba: Peace Prize Nominee
Uncommon Sense confirms that Cuban dissident leader Oswaldo Payá has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying, “There should be little doubt that if he were to be named this year's recipient, it would elevate his status and that of the entire dissident movement on the island. And it...
China: Verdict postponed in Fujian netizen trial
A verdict expected this morning in a case which has seen three netizens in Fujian province held in custody for nine months was quickly postponed pending yet further investigation. Following the decision, locals gathered outside the courthouse had minor scuffles with police while netizens having traveled there from around the country reported.
Ukraine: Differing views of the Orange revolution
The Ivanov Report presents a very critical comment on an essay about the Orange revolution by Keith Gessen in The New Yorker.
Iran: Opposition leader used You Tube for New Year Message
Mir-Hussein Mousavi, one of Iranian opposition leader, and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, used You Tube to deliver his new year,Noruz, message. He called Iranian people will face very difficult economic situation next year and country has been very isolated in international community. He praised “Green Movement” [Iranian opposition movement] and...
Nigeria: “Enough is Enough!” youth march on the capital
On Tuesday, March 16, thousands of Nigerians marched on the capital, Abuja, to show their frustration with the woes that continue to besiege the country. This sort of protest has not been a common feature of the Nigerian political scene, at least not in this decade, though the demonstration is one of several that have taken place this year.
Egypt: And the IslamOnline strike continues
The IslamOnline employees sit-in continues in Cairo, Egypt, after 250 employees were given their notice. The disgruntled employees are livestreaming, blogging and using Twitter to broadcast their plight. Mohamed El Gohary brings us the latest update.
Russia: Blogger Criticizes National Post Service
Blogger cyxoupshk published a video (RU with English subs) address criticizing Russian post service. The video is provoked by increasingly bad quality of service as well as recent DHL's shipping suspension.
Trinidad & Tobago: Anti-Everything
KnowTnT.com‘s Edmund Gall asks himself, “Are we Trinis more likely to be *against* something than *for* the opposite?”
Trinidad & Tobago: Untouchable?
Trinidadian bloggers discuss the Prime Minister's behaviour during a recent “walkabout”.
Iranian women's rights website wins RSF online freedom award
Reporters without Borders and Google have awarded Iranian women's rights website We-change with a "Netizen Prize" for their work in defense of freedom of expression.
Uganda: Students riot, Kampala burns
Two separate tragedies struck Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on Tuesday: students at Makerere University rioted after the shooting death of two of their peers. And the Kasubi Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the burial location of the king of one of Uganda's largest ethnic groups, burned to the ground.
Ukraine: Book-Burning and Book-Recycling Rallies
Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop writes about a book-burning rally in Crimea – and a book-recycling rally in Lviv. The latter was in protest to the appointment of Ukraine's new minister of education and science, and LEvko of Foreign Notes has more on it.
Thailand: Red Shirt dog
Red Shirt anti-government protesters in Thailand also brought along a red shirt dog to the rally site last weekend.
South Africa: Julius Malema and the future of freedom of speech
The ANC Youth League President Julius Malema has been found guilty of hate speech because of comments he made about a woman who accused President Jacob Zuma for rape. South African bloggers and legal experts have reacted quickly to the judgement. Opinions about the judgement and the future of freedom of speech in South Africa are deeply divided.
China and Hong Kong: Police and media
ESWN translated mainland blogger Yang Hengjun's eye witness report on the protest outside the China liaison office in March 13, 2010. Yang criticized the excessive police force and the self-censored practice of local media in Hong Kong.
Egypt: IslamOnline Employees Strike
Hundreds of employees, editors, and journalists started an angry sit-in in the widely read Cairo-based IslamOnline news website after 250 employees were sacked. For the first time, strikers are using new media efficiently and effectively to draw all the attention needed to support their cause, from continuous Twitter updates to live streaming.
Thailand: “Bloody” Tuesday?
The Prime Minister of Thailand has refused to step down despite the big protest rally of the anti-government Red Shirts last weekend. Now the protesters are ready to stage a "bloody" form of protest action. Bloggers and twitters continue to document the ongoing political crisis in Bangkok.
Latvia: All March 16 Rallies Banned
The Economist's Edward Lucas writes that “for once, the anniversary of a wartime battle in Latvia should pass off peacefully” on March 16. Juris Kaža of Free Speech Emergency in Latvia reports on the ban on “all marches and gatherings at the Freedom Monument on March 16, the day that...