Stories about Protest from April, 2011
Syria: Bread and Propaganda
As protests in Syria continue into their third week, the Assad government is making concessions in hopes of appeasing protesters. The government is asserting power via propaganda, some of which is finding its way to the most unlikely of places...
Russia: Anti-Government Slogans Published On a Hacked Soccer Club Website
Blogger pilgrim67 publishes [ru] a screenshot of the “Zenit” soccer club website that has been hacked this morning (now restored). A hacker had defaced the website and posted pictures of Valentina Matvienko (mayor of Saint-Petersburg) and Vadim Tyulpanov (speaker of the city assembly), both members of “United Russia” party, and...
Russia: DDoS Attack On LiveJournal Has Russians Debating Internet Politics
On March 30, 2011, the blogging platform LiveJournal experienced serious functionality problems for over 12 hours due to a powerful Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. It has triggered a debate on the origins of the attack and the future of the stability of the Russian political blogosphere.
Japan: Journalist Takashi Uesugi exposes Tepco and govt lies
Blogger TokyoTom published an interview [en] with Japanese freelance journalist Takashi Uesugi, “a critic of the Japanese news reporting establishment who now is lancing some of the lies and half-truths coming from TEPCO and the Japanese government with respect to the Fukushima nuclear reactors.” The interview appeared on online journal...
Yemen: Crackdown on Protestors Continues
On Monday, the Yemeni cities of Taiz and Hudaida were the scene of bloody crackdown by security forces on peaceful anti-government protestors. Once again, Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni president for the past 32 years, responded with force and live bullets to protestors calling for his immediate removal.
Bahrain: Blogger “Emoodz” Detained
On March 30, 2011, Bahraini blogger Mohamed El-Maskati, better known in the blogosphere as "Emoodz" was arrested. According to Reporters Without Borders, El-Maskati's arrest came after threats from a member of the royal family occurred on Twitter.
Côte d'Ivoire: Diaspora in France demonstrate against French military intervention
On YouTube, Talentscom posted a video on April 4, 2011 showing people demonstrating at 11pm in Paris against the intervention of the French armed forces in Côte d'Ivoire (Operation Unicorn) in a military assault launched against Laurent Gbagbo and his forces. The motto is “Sarkozy, Killer”.
Ukraine: Entrepreneurs, Tax Code and Civic Initiative
GV Author Tetyana Bohdanova of Good Girl Gone Ukrainian sums up the situation with small and medium business in Ukraine in the aftermath of the Tax Code protests of 2010.
Iran: Protests for a Drying Lake
Dozens of protesters were arrested on April 2, 2011 in Iran's Azerbaijan region in the cities Tabriz and Urmia (northwestern Iran). This time protests were not for democracy and freedom, but instead demands for the government to protect Lake Urmia, one of the world's largest salt water lakes.
Nepal: Frustrated Undercurrents
Last week, Nepal's Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal was apparently forced to resign. Known for his straight forward working style and exemplary work ethnic, the news of his departure came as a surprise to many. Netizens are demanding his reinstatement.
Côte d'Ivoire: Humanitarian Aid Via Twitter Hashtag
In the midst of the current political turmoil in Côte d'Ivoire, the Twitter hashtag #civ2010 has been providing an essential source of information in the country. However, many Twitter users have complained that it is becoming too confrontational. A new hashtag, #civsocial, has been set up to provide an outlet for humanitarian information.
Azerbaijan: Opposition leader's son sent to frontline
whatwaswritten says that the son of an opposition leader in Azerbaijan serving in the army has been sent to the front line following this weekend's protests in Baku, the capital. The post notes that some are alleging the move is part of an attempt to warn the opposition not to...
South Korea: Women's Ministry Gaming Clampdown Backfires
The South Korean government's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Affairs has come under fire for proposing a law clamping down on the online gaming industry. Net users and gaming enthusiasts react to the news.
Azerbaijan: Chaos as Riot Police Intervene in 2 April Protest
Inspired by popular uprising in the Middle East and North Africa as well as continuing the wave of pro-democracy protests in Baku, the last being held on 12 March, the opposition's latest “unsanctioned” rally took place yesterday. Twitter provided coverage of the heavy-handed dispersal.
Syria: Two Returned Home Safely, Khaled El Ghayesh Still Missing
Last week, Egyptian-American Muhammad Radwan (known as @battutta on Twitter) was arrested in Syria and accused of spying, as well as of receiving requests from abroad for photos and videos about Syria. Yesterday, Radwan announced on Twitter that he'd made it home safely.
Colombia: University Students Protest in Bogotá
Jim Wyss from Inside South America posts pictures and writes about the student protests he witnessed in the Bogotá neighbordhood La Macarena. He explains: “Colombia's congress is mulling a bill that would allow for private investment in state-run schools. Some are worried the deal would also deprive universities of their...
Uzbekistan: Next on the List of Revolutions?
Last month, Alen Mattich at The Wall Street Journal produced and published an index of likely candidate countries ripe for an upheaval. The fact that Uzbekistan is 15th on the list, while Libya holds the 13th place, has provoked numerous articles in the local online media and in the blogosphere.
Russia: More on Navalny
More on Alexey Navalny's anti-corruption activities – at A Good Treaty and RussiaWatchers. Also, the newyorker.com transcript of Julia Ioffe's Q&A on Navalny is here; “I think Navalny is Russia’s best hope,” she responds to one reader.
