Stories from Quick Reads from June, 2015
Photoblog Documents Eviction of Migrants’ Makeshift Camp in Paris
“Humanely…” That is the sarcastic headline of a photoblog that narrates how the French police dismantled and evicted a large makeshift camp of migrants in Paris starting June 2. The camp occupied an open space underneath a railway viaduct near the Porte de la Chapelle in the northern part of the city. By...
LGBT Pride Parade in Dalmatia Smaller but Without Incidents
The fifth Split Pride parade was held on June 6, 2015, with around 200 members of the LGBT community walking through Split, Croatia. No incidents or violence happened during the manifestation. The Split Pride parade has been held since 2010 and in previous years saw more than 500 participants joined in...
Mexican Indigenous Community Accuses Famous Designer of Plagiarism
French designer Isabel Marant has made a name for herself in the world of fashion, owing to her eclectic style, which blends materials and ethnic influences together in her designs. These creations carry a price tag starting in the hundreds of dollars. However, for the authorities and citizens of Santa...
After Citizen Uprising in Burkina Faso and Burundi, Are Niger and Togo Next?
20,000 Nigeriens took to the streets in Niamey, Niger on June, 6. There are multiple causes for the protests: endemic poverty, mediocre governance and restricted free speech are among the main grievances from Nigerien civil society. These protests come on the hill of similar uprisings in Burkina Faso, Burundi...
If I Were FIFA President…
After the recently reelected FIFA president, the Swiss Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, surprisingly resigned on June 3 amidst a corruption scandal that hit the supreme football organization, Twitter users started to speculate not about who might become the next leader, but what would happen if they were. The result was the satiric hashtag #SiYoFueraPresidenteDeLaFIFA...
Why the Numbers 64, 89 and 535 Are Missing From the Chinese Internet
Today is June 4, the 26th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests of 1989. In recent years, some numbers have gone missing on the Chinese Internet because of censorship. These numbers are 64, 89 and 535 — which stands for May 35, a popular way to refer to June 4. They are...
Trials of Being an African Musician in New York
Osekre, the leader of New York based Afro-punk band Osekre and The Lucky Bastards, reveals the trials and tribulations of being an African musician in New York: I wish I received a heads up by friends in the real world about the reality of being a musician in New York City....
On Assisted Dying Ruling By a South African Court
Professor Pierre de Vos weighs in on the debate about assisted dying in South Africa after a South African High Court ruled that a dying person is entitled to be assisted by a qualified medical doctor to end his or her life: It is important to note that the ruling...
