Stories about Protest from October, 2012
Siege of Portuguese Parliament: “This is not our budget”
Amidst growing austerity and cuts to social welfare, citizens mobilized a siege of the Portuguese parliament, on October 15, 2012, the day the government officially submitted the draft proposal of the state budget for 2013 to the Assembly of the Republic.
Yemen: Total's Unfair Gas Prices
Yemen's economy has been struggling for years, resulting in high levels of poverty and alarming rates of malnutrition. Yet, the corruption cases exposing the former regime's mismanagement and embezzlement of Yemen's wealth have been emerging as the main reason for the state the country is in. The latest corruption case...
Controversy over Nobel Peace Prize to European Union
The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union (EU) has sparked a lively debate in the media and on social networks in Europe and the rest of the world.
Portugal: Siege to Parliament Live
Thousands of protesters in Lisbon are gathered in front of the Assembly of the Republic, in response to a call for a “Siege to São Bento [Palace]” [pt], the home to Portuguese Parliament. The protest is being livestreamed on bambuser, on Twitter the main hashtag in use is #OE13 (from State...
Portugal: Global Noise Cultural Protest in Images
In Portugal, October 13's Global Noise pot-banging protests took the form of performing arts and cultural demonstrations in 14 cities, under the motto "Screw the troika! We want our lives". In this post we gather a selection of photos and videos from the protests.
Russia: Elections to Opposition Coordinating Council Fail to Attract Regional Voters
Leonid Volkov, the brains behind technical aspects of the coming independent opposition elections [ru], has posted an interesting bit of statistics [ru] on his blog. Out of the approximately 90,000 people currently registered to vote, 34.6% are from Moscow and Moscow Oblast, and 11.7% are from St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast....
Greece: Theater Critic Assaulted by Neo-Nazi and Religious Protesters
Religious groups and neo-nazis protested against gay-themed play Corpus Christi in Athens on 11 October, 2012. Deeming it blasphemous, they assaulted a theater critic and forced the cancellation of the performance. Netizens reacted in shocked outrage, demanding an end to the unchecked spiral of violence perpetrated by neo-nazis in recent months.
Global Community: “We Should Not Pay”
On October 13, the initiative #globalnoise, supported by different activist movements, called for a global "pots and pans" protest. The website #globalnoise coordinated the initiatives of movements and individuals.
Japan: “Global Noise” Against the IMF
In Japan, a series of actions to protest against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings are being called for by Global Noise Tokyo and @OccupyTokyoJp on October 13, 2012. More about Global Noise around the world can be found here.
Greece: Police Post Photos of Youth Detained at General Strike
Greek police preemptively arrested and beat young people intending to join massive anti-austerity demonstrations on September 26, 2012. When they also published their photos and identities online, furious reactions ensued from Greek netizens.
Spain: Government Insults Judge for Exonerating Protestors
Judge Pedraz's writ, which closes the case against eight people detained at the 25-S protests, has not gone down at all well in government circles. The Congress spokesperson, Rafael Hernando, has described the decision as "indecent and unacceptable" and labelled the judge a "posh anarchist."
Mexico: #YoSoy132 and the Festival ‘Corona Capital 2012′
Corona Capital 2012, a musical festival in Mexico where bands such as New Order, Franz Ferdinand, The Raveonettes and many others will perform, has been immersed in a controversy, thanks to a boycott promoted by the movement #YoSoy132.
Czech Republic: Přednádraží Forced Eviction Struggle Continues
The movement against forced evictions of Roma families at Přednádraží has suffered several severe blows over the last month, but as the pressure keeps rising, alliances also continue to grow. Daniela Kantorova reports.
Saudi Arabia: “People Want the Fall of Al Saud”
On Twitter, Saudi blogger Ahmed Al Omran shares a video reportedly from Qatif, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, last night. @ahmed: VIDEO: “People want the fall of Al Saud,” women chant reportedly during a protest in Qatif last night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0H0esiTyCY … #SAUDI
Indonesia: Anti-Corruption Agency Gets Online Support
The power of social media was once again affirmed in Indonesia when internet users collectively expressed their support to corruption investigators who are being harassed by the police and some politicians.
Guatemala: Petition Demands Justice for Totonicapán Victims
The Guatemala Human Rights Commission has released a petition [en, es] to “demand justice for the massacre in Totonicapán, Guatemala,” where 8 were killed and more than 35 injured when combined armed forces violently removed indigenous demonstrators from Cuatro Caminos, a well-known road intersection in Guatemala. With the pain of...
Russia: Getting It Wrong on the Pussy Riot Prisoner's Dilemma
Reactions to the release of Yekaterina Samutsevich have generally been myopic and misleading. The popular "insight" is that the authorities are maneuvering to "divide and conquer" the punk rocker trio. That is undoubtedly part of what's happened, but it isn't the whole story.
Colombia to Close ‘Week of Indignation’ with Nationwide Protests
Colombians will close a 'week of indignation' on October 12 with nationwide protests. The activities held during the week and the march scheduled for Friday seek to mobilize Colombians who are outraged about different issues like education, heath, security, indigenous rights, and more. On social networks many are announcing their participation and posting images and videos to encourage others to attend the march.
Costa Rica: Students Protest Veto of ‘Photocopying Law’
Thousands of students participated in a march in San José on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, protesting for their right to photocopy textbooks for educational purposes. The unrest was caused by President Chinchilla vetoing Bill 17342 (known as the ‘Photocopying Law’) on the grounds that it removes protection of the work and intellectual property in the artistic, literary and technological areas.
Global Pot-Banging Protests Scheduled for October 13
A day of pot-banging protests promises to shake the most sensitive ears across across the globe on October 13, 2012. The Global Noise initiative, organized by the international networks of Occupy, Indignados, and other social justice movements, aims to build on a wide variety of struggles for global justice and solidarity.
