Stories about Protest from July, 2011
Saudi Arabia: New Anti-Terror Law Crushes Protests
Amnesty International's leaked draft of the new Saudi anti-terror law has prompted a strong reaction to the proposed legislation. Twitter users are using the hashtag #SaudiTerrorLaw to voice their opinions.
Philippines: Planking Against Education Cuts
Thousands of students in the Philippines took to the streets on July 19 to demand a higher budget for education from President Noynoy Aquino. The protesting students used the latest planking craze to register their grievances.
Turkey: Ethnic Tension Rises Further as Street Clashes Erupt in Istanbul
In the aftermath clashes between army and separatist Kurdish PKK militants earlier this month, ethnic tension in Turkey continues to grow. Marches in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul broke out into larger scale street fighting on the night of July 21.
Egypt: Clashes in Abbasseya
On July 23, Egyptian demonstrators marched from Tahrir Square to the Ministry of Defense demanding the stoppage of military trials for civilians, the trial of Mubarak and his former regime, and asking their military rulers to speed up reforms. The initially peaceful protest ended with violence.
Malawi: Malawi On The Brink
Malawi on the brink: “Contrary to stereotypes about the docility and peaceful nature of Malawians, Malawi has a long history of mass protests going back to the colonial era including the struggles against the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland that saw the demise of the federation and the country's independence...
Iran: Global Day of Action for Dr. Arash Alaei
Physicians for Human Rights launched a global action day and an oline petition to Dr. Arash Alaei who is in jail in Iran. Arash and his brother, Kamyar, two Aids physicians were arrested in 2008. Kamyar was released recently and moved to the USA.
South Korean Twitterers Mobilized As East Sea(Sea of Japan) Conflict Intensifies
The ongoing territorial dispute over the Dokdo(Takeshima) island has flared up as the Japanese Foreign Ministry instructed a boycott against Korean Air for hovering over the island located in the disputed water. Korean Twitterers have set up a special website, IssueTok [ko], to plan a mass tweet-protest in several languages.
Is Russia's Political “Black Hole” About to Reach Tipping Point?
In December 2011 Russian voters will elect a new parliament, and than in March 2012 a new (or perhaps, not so new) president. Analysts predict that the upcoming elections threaten a confrontation between the old political parties and their new, network-based, alternatives.
Portugal: “Junk” National Debt Rating Provokes Online Demonstrations
The “junk” rating given to Portugal’s ability to pay its public debts by independent American financial analysis corporation Moody's, has provoked numerous demonstrations of exacerbated nationalism on the social networks. It has also brought to the blogosphere further analysis on the economic crisis and the country's bailout.
Philippines: Internet and social reform
Philippine legislator and activist Teddy Casino reminds Filipino netizens not to be limited to being “clicktivists in the virtual world but activists in the real world.”
Hong Kong and China: Free Ai Weiwei
A remix music video for the Free Ai Weiwei campaign.
Chile: Students Take Over Schools Demanding Education Reform
Students have taken over hundreds of schools throughout Chile, turning their classrooms into temporary homes while they demand free and higher quality education. They are sharing their movement online through video and blogs, giving us a glimpse of what it is like to be on the inside of a student-controlled school.
Cuba: Defending “Las Damas”
Cuban bloggers continue to update their posts about the most recent attack on Las Damas de Blanco, in which members of the group were reportedly “attacked and brutally beaten…by agents of Castro State Security upon exiting a church sanctuary.”
Malawi: Arab Spring Spreading South of the Sahara?
It's winter in Africa, south of the Equator, but the temperature in Malawi feels more like Spring - particularly that of the recent Arab pedigree. The Malawian air is rife with tension and anxiety over what is expected to be a clash between civil society and the Malawi government on Wednesday July 20.
Brazil: Belo Monte March in Images
Renata Takahashi published dozens of photos of a march – #MarchaBeloMonte - that took place on July 17 in São Paulo, and in six other Brazilian cities, against the Belo Monte Dam and the New Forestry Code. The protest ended with a sit-in in one of the main avenues of...
China: Campaigning for the Release of Female Activist Wang Lihong
The Chinese government has been arresting human right activists and political dissidents under the pretext of the Jasmine crack down. Many of the detainees have been released, but female activist, Wang Lihong, has been detained for 117 days with the court finally deciding to prosecute her last week. Netizens are rallying support.
Iran: Mehdi Khazali, a publisher and blogger was arrested
Mehdi Khazali, a publisher and blogger was arrested. He is son of a leading right-wing cleric and former Counsel of Guardians member, Ayatollah Khazali.
Cuba: Female Activists Reportedly Beaten/Detained
Reports of harassment of the Ladies in White and other female activists, here and here.
Bolivia: New Road Threatens Indigenous Territory of Isiboro Sécure
Bolivian President Evo Morales is under heavy criticism for his insistence in building a road that would pass through the Indigenous Territory and National Park of Isiboro Sécure, contradicting his international reputation as a defender of indigenous autonomous rights and environmental protection.
Russia/Belarus: Two More ‘Revolutionary’ Initiatives Appear Online
Ukraine-based Looo.ch launches [ru] street-art initiative called “Belarus Front of Street Art,” which idea is to spray word “Скоро” (“Soon”) on the streets of Belarus thus inspiring people to oppose the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. In Russia, the community “Crayon Revolution” [ru] calls people to draw “This government should resign”...
Jordan: Photos and Audio of July 15 Protest
Reform protests in Amman picked up some heat on Friday after a relatively quiet few weeks. Here's a summary of part of the day as witnessed by Lina Ejeilat, multimedia journalist, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Jordanian citizen-media platform 7iber.com.
