Stories about Western Europe from November, 2012
Mauritania: February 25th Movement says “No to Guardianship” of France
Mauritania is undergoing a period of great political uncertainty due to the evacuation for medical reasons of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz after he was shot on October 13, 2012. While Mauritania was preparing for his return, many citizens were left wondering what political role France would play in the current situation.
Anti-mining Protesters Converge in Greece's Second Largest City
More than 6,500 protesters from around Northern Greece converged in Thessaloniki on Saturday, November 24, 2012 to warn the inhabitants of Greece's second largest city about the environmental fallout caused...
Television Network Telecinco Sues Blogger in Spain
Pablo Herreros, the blogger who a few months ago successfully got sponsors of a television show to pull their advertising until TV executives committed to more ethical behavior, was sued by the TV channel Telecinco. After an uproar surfaced mainly through social media networks, Telecinco has withdrawn their suit.
Chris Moya, SpainRevolt and Cyberactivism
In this interview with Juan Arellano, Chris Moya, software developer, Spanish cyberactivist and Global Voices collaborator, talks about the protests in Spain, his website SpainRevolt, and cyberactivism.
Mauritanians Protest French Interference
The coordination of Mauritanian Opposition held a massive rally on Wednesday [November 21] asking France to stop interfering in the country's politics. The protesters also reiterated their demands to end...
A Traveling Exhibition to Expose Police Violence in Greece
A small team of Greeks in Zurich decided to expose Greek police brutality with a traveling photo exhibition in various European capitals. @Ypopto_mousi tweets a link to a poster in...
Ivorian and Russian Bloggers Make Light of the Electoral Fiasco for the Presidency of the French Conservative Party
Ivorians should abstain from bombing the Head Quarters of the UMP (The main Conservative Party) in France and help them move forward with the recount. Notre Vision in Côte d'Ivoire...
Brazil to Portugal and Back Again: Interview With Izabel Pimentel
Léa Promaja, the alias of an independent journalist working in the Balkans, posted an audio interview [in Portuguese, with English and French subtitles] with Izabel Pimentel, “the first Brazilian woman...
Spain: Minor Beaten by Catalonia's Police, Call for Minister to Resign
The use of force by Catalonia's police force, during November 14, 2012's general strike has brought about a wave of online condemnation. The events, which took place in the middle of an historic electoral campaign, has caused four of the region's political parties to petition for Catalonia's Interior Minister Felip Puig, to resign. One of the more controversial cases is of two minors who were attacked by the police.
Spain: Catalan Newspaper Censors Blog for Reporting Hunger Strike
Catalan journalist and Global Voices contributor Lali Sandiumenge recently decided to disassociate her blog on digital activism, Guerreros del teclado or "Keyboard Warriors" from Catalonia's leading daily newspaper, La Vanguardia . The decision came after the publication's editorial staff decided to delete a post explaining a hunger strike in Barcelona by six workers of Telefónica, a telecommunications company in Spain.
Spain: Catalan Elections – “We are all Garcia”
This Sunday, voters in Catalonia head to the polls . The electoral campaign, which has honed in on the question of independence, began last week with a polemic video posted on the Youtube channel of the unionist Catalan People's Party (Partit Popular de Catalunya or PPC). The video rapidly generated a negative reaction among Catalan netizens on Twitter, who created the hashtag #totssomgarcia or "we are all Garcia", expressing solidarity with "Spanish" Catalans and criticizing the divisive content of the PPC campaign spot.
Worrisome Brutality of Anti-Riot Police in Spain
On 14th November, during the general strike across Europe, demonstrations were held in every city of Spain. Protests were suppressed with severity by police forces, as has become the norm in the country.
Hackathons in Droves: How is a Hackathon Organised?
In the following guest article, J.J. Merelo, Doctor in Physics and Professor at the University of Granada, Spain, tells us of his experience organising educational hackathons in light of the regional Hackathon, "Developing Latin America 2012 "which will take place next December.
University of Cyprus Campaign – ‘Buy Cypriot Products’
Using the slogan “Agorazo Kypriaka” [Buy Cypriot products], the University of Cyprus website hosts an announcement by Rector Constantinos Christofides himself. Amidst the general economic crisis, University of Cyprus supports...
Social Pressure Halts Evictions Temporarily in Spain
After years of action, the associations and platforms that formed in protest against home evictions in Spain achieved their first great success. The Spanish Banking Association announced that all evictions for families with small children, people with disabilities and the long-term unemployed will be suspended for the next two years.
Ibero-America: Free Software Assessment Report 2012
The recently released Free Software Assessment Report 2012 shows the opinion, assessment and preferences of more than 5,000 people from Spain and Latin America. The study published in its fourth...
Hurdles in Making Italy's Illegal Workers ‘Legal’
The results of the legislative decree passed this summer in Italy to regularise thousands of illegal workers by regularisation of their undeclared employment, have not lived up to expectations. Here's a review of online reactions and analysis.
Night Clashes Overshadow Portugal's Largely Peaceful General Strike
The general strike of November 14, 2012, in Portugal once again brought people against austerity to the streets across the country. The real motivations for the demonstrations however, were ignored by mainstream media, as by the end of an intense day of peaceful marches and sit-ins, confrontations between police and protesters turned the violence into top news.
Spanish Constitutional Court Upholds Same Sex Marriage
The Spanish Constitutional Court approved by a large majority the law passed in 2005 that guarantees equal rights to same sex marriages. Social media buzzed with reactions.
Strike Across Southern Europe
November 14 witnessed the first strike of its kind, including all the southern European countries most affected by austerity and financial crisis. Events were covered by citizens on the street in realtime, including acts of solidarity, creativity, and reports of police brutality.
