· November, 2012

Stories about Western Europe from November, 2012

Television Network Telecinco Sues Blogger in Spain

  28 November 2012

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 After an uproar surfaced mainly through social media networks, Telecinco has withdrawn their suit.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

  26 November 2012

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

  26 November 2012

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 the military regime in Mauritania.

A Traveling Exhibition to Expose Police Violence in Greece

  26 November 2012

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 his blog, [el] which gives more information on his friends’ effort to bring this project to life, as well as...

Spain: Minor Beaten by Catalonia's Police, Call for Minister to Resign

  25 November 2012

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

  25 November 2012

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”

  25 November 2012

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

  24 November 2012

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?

  23 November 2012

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’

  20 November 2012

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 initiatives against unemployment and actively contributes to the cause, initiating a promotion campaign to encourage people to buy local Cypriot...

Social Pressure Halts Evictions Temporarily in Spain

  20 November 2012

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

  19 November 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 edition is promoted by PortalProgramas and supported by a number of experts and collaborators [es]. The report aims to contribute...

Hurdles in Making Italy's Illegal Workers ‘Legal’

  17 November 2012

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

  16 November 2012

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.

Strike Across Southern Europe

  15 November 2012

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.