Stories about Protest from July, 2012
Spain: King's Controversial Son-in-law Gets Salary in Millions
Amid austerity cuts, the Duke of Palma and son-in-law of the King of Spain Iñaki Urdangarín's new salary has caused a scandal in the country. Urdangarín will receive a 1.5 million euro salary as well as 1.2 million euro in-kind this year, after renewing his contract with the telecommunications company Telefónica. Urdangarín is also currently being investigated for misappropriating public funds, for which he could be sentenced up to 18 years in prison.
Mauritania: Outrage Over the Murder of a Worker
In the early hours of Sunday [July, 15], Guard Forces (police) in Mauritania attacked a group of workers on strike, at the headquarters of the Mauritanian Copper Company [MCM], where they work. The attack led to the death of a worker for the first time since the sixties of the last century. The case sparked the interest of Mauritanian activists. Mohamed Abdou summarizes their online reactions.
Portugal: Tugaleaks Bank Account Deemed as Terrorist and Closed
Website Tugaleaks, which aims to serve since December 2010 as Portugal's Wikileaks, had its bank account for donations arbitrarily closed on July 13 with no official communication [pt]. Tugaleaks contributors were finally told the account had been closed based on Act 25/2008 [pt] of money laundering and terrorist financing, which...
Russia: Hacker Hell, Scourge of the RuNet
When noted Russian anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny's email and Twitter accounts were hacked, it came as no surprise that the hacker "Hell" took responsibility. A legendary figure in the RuNet, the hacker can either be characterized as a Kremlin shill or a professional troll.
Bahrain: Elderly Men Arrested for “Protecting Women” from Police
The elderly are not immune to arrest for taking part in "unlicensed" protests in Bahrain, where demonstrations should be sanctioned by the state. According to netizens, two elderly men were arrested for "protecting women from the police" in the village of Karzakan.
Spain: Street Protests are Unstoppable
Since the miners arrived in Madrid on strike against the 63% cuts to their sector, demonstrations haven't stopped in Spain. We share images of the protests in Madrid, the capital city.
Jordan: Orphans Sit-in Attacked
Jordanian blogger Ali Al Hasani blogs about the brutal crackdown on a protest by orphans in Amman, Jordan. “They were protesting their horrible living conditions and how the Jordanian government classifies them in a different social security number then the normal Jordanian citizens,” he writes.
Is Tunisia a Banana Republic?
Tunisian netizens react to a Tunisian MP's use of the term "President of the Banana Republic" to refer to interim President Moncef Marzouki, during a heated parliamentary debate.
Mauritania: A Journalist Behind Bars
Mauritanian journalist Obeid Ould Amegn, whose health is in bad condition [Ar], is still in the central prison of the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott. Obeid Ould Amegn, a journalist and an anti-slavery human rights activist, is the vice-president of the Club of Activist Journalists. Mauritanian police had arrested him on April 29, in the capital Nouakchott, after he gave a statement to Al Arabiya TV network regarding those arrested following a book-burning protest.
Peru: Graffiti Overshadows Coverage of Anti-Mining Protests
During a recent protest march in Lima against the Conga mining project, the monument to the liberator Jose de San Martin was defaced with slogans against the government and the mining project. The media attention, and even in the blogosphere, was more focused on this "graffiti", obscuring the message of the protests.
Colombia: Locals Demand End to Cauca Conflict
For years, the indigenous people of the municipality of Toribio in Cauca have put up with hundreds of battles provoked by the guerrilla, paramilitary groups, and the military. The conflict has generated the displacement of thousands of indigenous people. Now, the indigenous people of the area have decided to intensify their struggle to expel these armed groups from their territory.
South Korea: Mega Corporation Lotte Faces Nationwide Boycott
In South Korea, over two million small business owners have called for a nationwide boycott of products made by conglomerate Lotte Group. This unprecedentedly large scale collective action has spread like wildfire via social media.
Togo: Keeping an Eye on a Budding Political Crisis
Paul Martial warns that despite very little international coverage, the recent events in Togo suggest that profound changes are underway [fr]. Martial argues that the Eyadema administration is fragilized by both the emerging social crisis and internal tensions within the governing body. A new prime minister, Mr Ahoomey-Zunu, has been named today [fr].
Syria: Videos Document a Sharply Escalating Conflict
News from Syria set social media ablaze. Videos uploaded by activists on YouTube allowed viewers to follow key stages of a sharply escalating conflict.
Video: Internet Society Discusses International Freedom of Speech and Censorship
Will the technologies of anonymization win out over new digital monitoring tools? And will new wireless data technologies foster democracy–or lead to more effective tracking and surveillance? A panel discussion in Washington, DC on 25 June, 2012 with 6 activists from Syria, India, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Venezuela and Azerbaijan aimed to answer these questions.
Spain: Deputy Apologizes for Insult
Due to the outcry produced by parliamentarian Andrea Fabra's declarations, she had to publicly retract [es] (PDF) and present a written apology after having declared “¡qué se jodan!” (“Fuck them!”) when President Mariano Rajoy announced the harshest social cuts in the history of Spanish democracy. The letter is an apology to the House of Representatives...
Puerto Rico: Strong Support for Land and Agriculture
Various organizations have warned about the food dependency of Puerto Rico and the urgency of revitalizing the agriculture of the country. It was with this reason that a demonstration was held to demand that the University of Puerto Rico not be forced to give part of its agricultural land to the municipality of Gurabo for the construction of infrastructure.
Bahrain: Tweeting Appalling Conditions at Jaw Prison
Bahraini netizens are rallying online to draw attention to appalling conditions at the central Jaw Prison, which houses political detainees, among others. Following the crackdown on Bahrain's February 14, 2011, uprising, hundreds of people were arrested, put on trial and imprisoned for taking part in anti-government protests.
Iran: “If Bashar Gets Killed, the Iranian Regime Will Call Him a Martyr”
Iranian bloggers reacted with humour to the Syrian rebels attack in Damascus and the bomb blast that killed three top security chiefs in the Syrian President Bashar Al Assad's regime. Iran and Syria enjoy excellent relations and netizens have resorted to poking fun at how impacted the Iranian regime would be should Al Assad finds himself out of power, following the 16 month revolution raging in Syria.
Jordan: Women's Rights Demonstrators Face Barrage of Criticism
On June 25, 2012, more than 200 people created a human chain in the streets of Amman to raise awareness for some of the most controversial women's rights issues in Jordan. The reaction by readers of news websites in the following days reflected how unprepared Jordan was for this type of protest.
Syria: Live Blogging from Midan
Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi was live blogging from the Midan neighbourhood in Damascus. Here's her take.
