Stories about Protest from June, 2012
Cuba: Two Protests, Many Arrests
The Ladies in White (Las Damas de Blanco) are again top of mind with Cuban diaspora bloggers. As one of the oldest and most respected opposition entities on the island, their peaceful protests - and regular arrests by state security forces - continue to attract attention. The most recent confrontation happened this past weekend as members of the group attempted to carry out two protests in Havana.
Iran: Is LGBT an Online Reality?
Homosexuality, which is banned in Iran, is punishable by prison or death. Fred Petrossian speaks to a researcher who led a team which studied how Iranian LGBT communities use internet in their daily lives.
Togo: Violent Police Clash With ‘Save Togo’ Protesters
A peaceful march by the 'Save Togo' collective on June 12 degenerated into a stand off with security forces and around 120 injuries were recorded. Amongst other things, the protesters are calling for the implementation of recommendations relating to torture and wide ranging constitutional change. Other demonstrations are scheduled for the coming week.
Hong Kong, China: Military Vehicles Entered the City
Dictionary of Politically Incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese posted photos and video taken by netizens on the night of June 15th, showing military vehicles of the People Liberation Army running on the busy city streets. Many believe that this is a move to scare people away from July 1st demonstration.
Mauritania: Security Forces Break Up March, Arrest Activists
Coordinators of the youth opposition organised a demonstration held after Friday prayers on May 18, which saw opposition protestors leave the Saudi Mosque in the capital Nouakchott in a march headed towards the Ministry of Interior. The demonstration was forcefully suppressed by security forces using tear gas.
Puerto Rico: Concerns About Wind Energy Proposal
“Don Quijote felt he needed to defend himself from giants. I need to protect my family from these giants that are being installed in a densely populated area. Not only are they feet away from [our] homes but they are in fertile grounds used for agriculture,” wrote Puerto Rican blogger...
Colombia: 72-year-old Man Demands A Decent Life
Via Facebook, Arlovich Correa [es] shares the story of a 72-year-old Colombian man who decided to climb to the top of an antenna, putting his life in danger, to demand a pension and better quality of life. Correa expresses his indignation at the people who walked by and told the...
Russia: Twitter Hashtag Targeting Putin Trends Worldwide
Last month, a Russian hashtag was briefly among the top worldwide trends on Twitter. This remarkable hashtag, written in Russian Cyrillic and 30 letters long, has been used to criticize President Putin and mock popular national events. Augis Barkov reports.
Egypt: Final Round of the Presidential Elections in Photographs
Egyptian were called to vote on the second round of the presidential elections amidst attempts by the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces (SCAF) to keep a tight rein on the political stage. Ammoun shares photographs taken by netizens during the historic event.
Togo: Protests for Human Rights Repressed with Violence
The Association “Collectif Sauvons le Togo (Save Togo) ” published images and videos of violence following marching protests [fr] for Human Rights and Democracy in Lome, Capital City of Togo on June 12 and 13. Hundred of protesters were injured [fr] and dozens were arrested [fr].
Russia: Interview with Jesse Heath of The Russia Monitor
As an American lawyer and Anglophone blogger writing about Russia, Jesse Heath's work is distinct for its detailed focus on technical aspects of Russian law, economics, and politics. Kevin Rothrock recently spoke with Heath by telephone, to learn more about his history as a blogger and his contributions to the RuNet.
Lebanon: Protest to Re-Open Beirut's City Park
“Personally I do not understand how a park can be kept closed for the public, letting only the privileged few enter upon a permit,” wrote leelouz in a post about the protest held to raise awareness to the insignificant amount of public green space and to demand the re-opening of the city's park.
South Korea: Fight Continues over Jeju Naval Base Construction
GangJeong, a small rural town in the Jeju island has made headlines for several months with intense conflict going on between the government forging ahead with its construction plan and environmentalists and rights groups struggling to protect the natural resources. A net user posted an English subtitle (not embedded) for...
Spain: 15M Presents Legal Complaint Against Bankia
The 15M has presented a legal complaint before the National Audience against commercial fraud committed by Bankia executives. Social media have played a key role in the campaign.
Understanding the Violence in Western Myanmar
Dozens dead, more than two thousand houses burned down, and thirty thousand residents have been displaced by the communal violence in Rakhine State, west of Myanmar. Who are responsible for these deaths? How was the internet used to spread hate and racism? What are the views of ordinary citizens on this very complicated issue?
Bulgaria: Protests Against Forest Act in Sofia
For two days, June 13 and 14, Bulgaria's capital Sofia was blocked due to the unsanctioned protests against the modification of the vague Forest Act. The third rally is scheduled to take place today. Ruslan Trad reports.
Cuba: Bloggers say there are more like “Antunez”
Diaspora bloggers still have their attention focused on Cuban dissident Jorge Luis García Pérez (Antunez), who was reportedly beaten and detained following his testimony at a United States Senate sub-committee hearing concerned with infringements on the human rights of Cuban citizens.
China: Grandpa Wen, I want to go to school!
Ministry of Tofu has captured some protest photos of rural migrant children at the entrance of Fengtai District Education Commission in Beijing, pleading to Chinese Primer Wen Jiabao with a banner: “Grandpa Wen, I want to go to school!”. 14,000 kids have been kicked out of schools since the Beijing...
Myanmar: Protest Against Riot Attacks
CJ Myanmar reported[my] that Rakhine people in Yangon, Myanmar protested against riot attacks which already spread in nearby towns of the Rakhine state. The protestors include Rakhine ethnics and Buddhist monks and they prayed for the victims of the riot at Shwedagon Pagoda.
Poland: Football Fans Clash Ahead of Poland-Russia Game
Over 180 people were detained due to clashes that broke out between rival Russian and Polish football fans in Warsaw on June 12. Anna Gotowska reports.
Hong Kong, China: Condemning the Apparent Staged Suicide of Li Wangyang
Thousands of people in Hong Kong took to the street on June 10, to condemn the apparent staged suicide of political prisoner Li Wangyang, a martyr who lived his life for defending justice and truth.
