Stories about Protest from April, 2012
Russia: Astrakhan in Turmoil
In Astrakhan, opposition leaders have relied on social media to mobilize and coordinate protestors. Technology, however, is not a panacea for Astrakhan's struggling opposition. Many in the city are still strangers to Internet technology, and others are utilizing it to support the state.
Egypt: Country's First Research University At Risk
Since last year the fate of Nile University, Egypt's first research university, has been uncertain. Its purpose-built campus has been “conceded” to the Zewail City of Science and Technology, an initiative of Nobel Chemistry Prize winner Ahmed Zewail, and netizens are fighting to save it.
Video Highlights: Syrian Activism, Children's Issues and Dolphin Deaths
A selection of Global Voices' most recent and interesting stories like the Syrian protests in Middle East and North Africa, China and India's female gendercide phenomenon in South Asia and East Asia and viral video campaigns with Children in Mexico and the massive dolphin die-off in Peru for Latin America.
Brazil: Aquarium Project Sparks Transparency Debate
In Fortaleza, the fifth largest city in Brazil, the recent start of construction on an aquarium has prompted discussions over public resources, state government priorities and the city's future, as well as some creative forms of protest.
Colombia: Closing of Community Radio Station Sparks Debate
Community radio station Café Líbano, from Líbano [es] in the Tolima department, denounces its closing by the government, pointing out that it was carried out arbitrarily. According to Cesáreo Gálvez, one of its founders, the closing is “an affront to the right to information and communication embodied in community radio.”...
Macedonia: Ethnic Tensions Rise Following Murders at Smiljkovci
At TOL's East of Center, Barbara Frye writes about the situation in Macedonia, following the recent murder of five men outside the capital Skopje.
France: The March of the Suburbs
The website Marche Paris 2012 [fr], emanation of the Indignados and Occupy movements, details the organization and the stages of the March of the Suburbs, which leaves from Saint-Denis on April 14, and proposes to go through the Parisian suburbs in 27 stages, as punctuated by the People's Assemblies Network,...
Cuba: Diaspora Blogs About Dissidents
The plight of prisoners of conscience is a front-burner issue with Cuban diaspora bloggers. This week, they are talking about two in particular: Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia, a former member of the Black Spring “Group of 75″ and Andres Carrion Alvarez, the man who was detained after shouting, “Down with Communism!” prior to the start of a mass during Pope Benedict XVI's recent visit to the island.
Bahrain: Police Help Thugs Vandalize Shiite-Owned Shop
The owners of the Jawad Business Group, a Shiite-owned company in Bahrain, have released a video of one of their shops being stormed, robbed, and vandalized by a group of thugs on April 10, as policemen watched and even helped.
Egypt: Campaign Against Compulsory Military Service Gains Momentum
A discussion against conscription or compulsory military service is emerging in Egypt. Ahmed Awadalla gives us an overview of the debate in this post.
Morocco: Opposition to Mawazine Festival Grows
As the the world struggles with the global economic crisis, Morocco's Mawazine festival may be affected by growing resentment at its cost. Mawazine is an international music festival that will take place this year between 18 and 26 May.
Russia: An Interview With Two Astrakhan Protesters
At OpenDemocracy.net, a translation [en] of Svetlana Reiter's Esquire.ru interviews [ru] with two activists who have spent the past month hungerstriking in Astrakhan, protesting the results of the disputed mayoral election together with ex-candidate Oleg Shein. (An earlier GV text is here.)
Iran: Turning a Page on Racism Against Afghans
Rumors that Afghans living in Isfahan, Iran had been banned from picnicking in a park during Iranian New Year celebrations, caused an uproar online with Iranians expressing solidarity with Afghans against racism.
Brazil: Homage to the Victims of the Amazon in Washington, D.C.
President Dilma Rousseff's official visit to Washington, D.C. attracted around 100 people to the Brazilian embassy in an act of solidarity with the Amazonian victims. Learn a little more about the Brazilians who were killed and are being persecuted for protecting the rainforest.
Tunisia: Book Readers to the Streets!
Following weeks of demonstrations in Tunis, a new event has been announced, called “L'avenue ta9ra”, or “The avenue reads”. The plan is for Tunisians to bring their books to Habib Bourguiba Avenue, the most symbolic thoroughfare of the capital, and take part in a collective reading session.
India: Administration Backlash over a Political Cartoon and it's Aftermath
The recent arrest of an university professor in West Bengal, India, over a humorous political cartoon has been met by stiff resistance and protest both online and offline. On his blog Pabitraspeaks, blogger Pabitra Mukhopadhyay discusses how the incident is another in a slew of recent incidents that have negatively...
Armenia: The mob rules
Unzipped again comments on last week's cancelled festival of Azerbaijani films in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri. The blog concludes that the campaign and demonstration against local peace activist Georgi Vanyan illustrated that the ‘mob rules’ and “state structures in Armenia failed to protect constitutional rights and freedom of...
Guinea-Bissau: Military Attack Citizens in Demonstration
According to Simão Mendes National Hospital [pt], the military attacked citizens in a demonstration this morning, April 15, in front of the National Parliament of Guinea-Bissau. On Facebook they have posted a picture of a stabbed patient who arrived at the hospital, “before they [the military] come and take our...
Cuba: Uproar Over Ozzie Guillen's “Love” for Fidel Castro
Across digital and mainstream media, in the United States and Cuba, Miami Marlins baseball team manager Ozzie Guillén's comments on Fidel Castro unleashed a searing debate between baseball fans, political junkies, Cuban-American Miamians, and Cubans themselves.
Egypt: The Fall, Rise and Fall of Omar Suleiman
On April 6 Omar Suleiman, Egypt's former vice president and intelligence chief, announced his candidacy for president. On April 13, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square to protest. Then, in a surprising turn of events, on April 14 it was announced that Suleiman was one of ten candidates barred from standing in the elections.
Syria: Safana Baqleh, the “Freedom Harp”, Arrested in Damascus
When Rima Dali was arrested on April 9 for holding a banner reading “Stop the killing. We want to build a country for all Syrians”, musician Safana Baqleh was the first person who rushed to defend her and try to stop the security forces from taking her with them. For this attempt she too was arrested.
