Stories about Protest from January, 2012
Romania: Towards A European Spring?
Gabriela Ionita of Power&Politics World summarizes ongoing anti-government protests in Romania, draws parallels to the Arab spring, and asks if this is the start of a European wave of revolutions.
MENA: Amnesty International's Forecast for 2012
“Repression and state violence is likely to continue to plague the Middle East and North Africa in 2012,” forecasts Amnesty International in an 80-page report. It documents the extreme violence deployed by MENA regimes when resisting the unprecedented calls for fundamental reform heard in the region in 2011, as well as...
Brazil: Movement Claims Right for Public Space During Carnival
The Carnival of Salvador, in Brazil, is one of the biggest street parties in the world. People from the city, however, have been fed up by the excess of commercialization and the transformation of public spaces into private provisional balconies. Organizing themselves through Facebook and Twitter protesters took action on January 14 demanding for private companies to withdraw their infra-structures from the streets.
Russia-US: Protest Against the SOPA/PIPA Bills
Windows to Russia writes about the Russian Pirate Party's protest demonstration yesterday against the US SOPA/PIPA-bills outside the US Embassy in Moscow, and how they argue that this might affect Russian Internet freedom.
Russia: Kremlin Crisis Management
Ania Viver of Foreign Policy Blogs posts an interesting analysis on the Kremlin's attempts at calming down popular protests against the Russian leadership, and tries to explain why they fail in their crisis management.
Romania: “A Tsunami” of Protests Against Austerity Cuts and Corruption
The Romanian online community is trying to explain why people have taken to the streets all over the country, what the authorities' response was and what the outcome of the protests might be. Oana Maria Dan reports.
Turkey: Hrant Dink Murder Trial Closes
Five years and 25 hearings later, the trial to convict those responsible for the murder of Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist, has come to a close.
Philippines: Mass Movement and Pop Songs
Vencer Crisostomo looks at last year's mass movement high points in the Philippines through the lens of western pop songs.
Cuba: Whither Gay Rights?
While Havana Times reports that Raul Castro's daughter “hopes the upcoming January 28 conference of the country’s communist party will help end the stalemate around a draft law intended to grant rights to transsexuals and homosexuals on the island”, babalu counters: “While…Mariela Castro, is busy jetting around the world promoting...
Caribbean: Solidarity with SOPA Protest
A few regional bloggers have joined “the largest online protest in history”, against the proposed PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), here, here, here and here.
Cuba: Hunger Striking Prisoner Close to Death
Cuban bloggers are concerned that there could be a repeat of what happened to political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo, and draw attention to the plight of Wilman Villar Mendoza, who “has been on hunger strike since November, when he was arrested and sentenced to 4 years in prison for the...
Iran: Iranian site is striking against censorship in U.S.A
Amsterdam based Iranian Arseh Sevom site is striking against SOPA and PIPA which seek to deploy online censorship and surveillance in the name of enforcing copyright, employing the same tools used by authoritarian regimes. Arseh Sevom promotes civil society in Iran.
Nicaragua: Telecom Company CLARO Censors Clients
The perseverance of Nicaragua's internet community through social networks in denouncing the censorship act by CLARO Nicaragua was the reason the company stopped stonewalling and lifted the access block on the website claroqueno.com.
Global Online Community Protests U.S. Anti-Piracy Bills
Today, January 18, is an important day for the Internet. Corporate websites, from Google to Twitpic, along with civil society groups and individuals, have all joined together in a common cause: to protest two American bills that could have grave effects for global online free expression.
Russia: Obama's McFaul Sworn in as U.S. Ambassador
President Obama's closest adviser on affairs of state of the Former Soviet Union and architect of the 'reset' in the U.S.-Russia relations, Michael McFaul, has officially replaced President Bush's appointment as the United States' Ambassador to Russia.
South Korea’s Richest Conglomerate Criticized for Environmental Pollution
An activist organization, Public Eye Group nominated Samsung, South Korea's richest and most powerful conglomerate, for the People's Award 2012. The award is given to raise public awareness on corporation's decades of environmental pollution, trade union repression, corruption and tax flight.
Liberia: Lawmaker in the Web of Nudity
Netizens discuss the recent revelation of a scandalous episode of nudity widely known in Liberia as ‘Snoweleaks' or ‘Snowegate' which involves Edwin Melvin Snowe, Jr., a very popular lawmaker.
Poland: Martial Law 30 Years On
Polandian writes about the 30th anniversary of the introduction of martial law in Poland 1981, and argues that repression became a positive trigger for the popular movement against communist rule.
Romania: “Revolution of Decency”
Power & Politics World reports on the protests in Romania, sparked by budget cuts and the resignation of deputy health minister Raed Arafat. Csíkszereda Musings writes about Raed Arafat and the government's policies: “Basescu and his government seem hell bent on using the excuse of ‘austerity’ to destroy education, healthcare...
Bulgaria: Protests Against Shale Gas Exploration
On Jan. 14, some 15,000 protesters came out in the streets of at least 12 Bulgarian cities, as well as in London, Paris and Copenhagen, to call for a moratorium on shale gas tests through hydraulic fracturing and to demand a new law that would ban this potentially dangerous practice....
Cuba: Tackling Racism
Iván's File Cabinet profiles “two of the most lucid and coherent voices on the map of Cuban opposition”, who are fighting for democracy and “racial integration for the those of African origin in all social strata in Cuba.”
