Stories about Weblog from February, 2013
Christian Protests Target Puerto Rico's Rising LGBTQ Rights
In the past few weeks various key events have occurred with respect to LGBTQ rights, the most prominent of which may be a demonstration organized by conservative Christian groups called "Puerto Rico Rises Up" to protest against proposed amendments that would extend legal protection to same sex couples in cases of domestic violence.
Burundi: Violent Suppression of Demonstration Support for Imprisoned Journalist
The Court of Burundi revised the life sentence for journalist and Radio France International correspondent Hassan Ruvakuki on appeal, reducing his sentence to three years imprisonment. Media professionals demonstrated in sympathy weekly outside the Bujumbura Court building since the sentence was handed down until violent suppression of a march by the authorities.
Powerful Union Leader “La Maestra” Arrested in Mexico
The arrest of union leader Elba Esther Gordillo for money laundering has caused a stir in Mexico. "La Maestra" is already behind bars at the Santa Martha Acatitla Social Rehabilitation Center in the outskirts of Mexico City.
Latin America Turns to iPhone App to Take Hammerhead Sharks Off the Chopping Block
Countries across Latin America are on a mission to get hammerheads onto the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) list for protection. They’re armed with a new iPhone app that promises to make fin identification quick and easy. Listing the sharks would help fund financially strapped programs in Latin America and restrict global trade.
In Burning Rage for Water, Iran Farmers Take On Security Forces
An anonymous video on YouTube shows angry farmers from eastern part of Isfahan in Iran on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 among burning busses in ongoing protests against water shortages.
Chinese Parents of Gay Children Call for Equal Marriage Rights
More than 100 parents of gays and lesbians from different parts of China have sent an open letter [zh] to delegates of China’s National People’s Congress asking the government to legalize same-sex marriage.
Colombia: “Let's Revoke Congress”
Colombian netizens are using the the hashtag #revoquemoselCongreso [Let's Revoke Congress] to expose the reasons why the country's members of Congress should leave their jobs.
Women Protesters Call for the Fall of the Saudi Interior Minister
A group of women and children who are relatives of uncharged prisoners managed to organize a small sit-in in Saudi Arabian city of Buraida, challenging the strict ban on demonstrations in the absolute monarchy. This week's sit-in had an unprecedented, explicit demand: the fall of the Interior Minister.
Turkish Women Speak Up: My Body, My Decision
Turkish women protested, and protected their rights by saying 'my body, my decision.' But it seems like they still have a long way to go and fight until it is 100% their decision what to do on their body or their life. Baran Mavzer tells us why Turkish women, though in a better position than many across the Muslim world, have a long struggle ahead of them to obtain and maintain their legal and human rights.
[Webcast] Internet Censorship and the Remembrance of Infowars Past
With Internet censorship on the rise around the world, organizations and researchers have developed and distributed a variety of tools to assist Internet users to both monitor and circumvent such censorship.
Pakistan's Darkest Night On Social Media
A massive power breakdown rocked Pakistan at 11:45 pm on Sunday, 24 February 2013, plunging 70 percent of the country into darkness for 14 hours. People turned to humor on social media to make life easy during the blackout.
Why Are Tourists Not Wanted at French Carnival?
A video featuring a group of masked Carnival revelers in Dunkirk, France chanting "we don't like tourists" has some web users ruing the flood of visitors who come year after year unprepared for the festival's madness.
Interactive Maps of China’s Most and Least Polluted Places
Beijing recently experienced its worst day of air quality on record. Since then, reporting on China’s “airpocalypse” has been accompanied by what seems like a monochromatic slideshow of the country’s iconic cities all smothered in thick smog.
Brazil: Cable Car Goes Up, Houses Come Down for World Cup
The construction of a cable car for tourists in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in the Morro da Providência favela in Rio de Janeiro is kicking residents out. Demolished houses are being traded for a stipend of 400 reais (200 US dollars), and many families have been unable find a place to live.
Weary of Austerity, Portugal Sings a Song of Revolution
Thousands of Portuguese people have promised a massive anti-austerity protest on March 2, 2013. Leading up to the date, demonstrators have led a campaign to interrupt government ministers during their public appearances by singing a historic song used by revolutionaries who toppled the country's dictatorship in 1974.
#Wikimodernism: Catalan Modernism, from the Classroom to the Web
The mystery behind the dreamy aesthetic of Barcelona's fantastic architecture is only a click away. Art history students in Barcelona are trading in traditional homework to share their learning about Catalan Modernism with the world.
A Monologue of Blood and Bullets Precedes Yemen's National Dialogue
Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi finally payed a long overdue visit to Aden on Sunday evening, February 24th, after four days of ongoing bloody clashes, which erupted between police and pro-independence demonstrators on Thursday. How will this effect the National Dialogue, scheduled to take place on March 18? Netizens weigh in as more violence shakes the country.
Iran's New Stealth Fighter Soars Across Fake Sky
Iranian bloggers revealed this month that an official photo of Iran’s newly unveiled stealth fighter, Qaher-313, is a fake photoshopped image.
Brazil: Citizen Journalists Expose City's Unfinished Works
Project Amigos de Januária has shed light on the failure of a local Brazilian government, marred by a legacy of administrative wrongdoing and poor accountability, to complete public works projects on time.
Trinidad & Tobago: Tensions High After Fatal Car Crash Sparks Riots
Netizens from Trinidad and Tobago have been keeping an eye on the fallout over a car crash near the Central Market in Port of Spain on Sunday, which killed a mother and her two young children. The car was allegedly driven by an off-duty police officer. Residents of the area rioted following the incident; protests continued yesterday. Online discussion has also been heated.
“Liberal, Jewish, Sexy”: Keeping Tabs on Hungarian Students
According to a report published by a Hungarian TV channel, members of the student union of one of the universities in Budapest allegedly kept tabs on students’ religion, ethnic background and political affiliation.
