· May, 2011

Stories about Western Europe from May, 2011

Spain: Photos of Protests

  19 May 2011

The photographer Juan Luis Sánchez (@juanlusanchez) of the digital magazine Periodismo Humano is sharing his photos of the protests in Madrid, Spain.

France: Anti-Racism Group Expelled from Slavery Commemoration Event

  19 May 2011

During a National Slavery Day ceremony in Paris attended by French president Nicolas Sarkozy on May 10, eight members of anti-racism group Alliance Noire Citoyenne [Black Citizens Alliance] were expelled for wearing shirts that said “Anti Negrophobia Brigade”. A video of the action has been viewed more than 600,000 times.

France: The Fall of Dominique Strauss-Kahn?

  19 May 2011

On Sunday 15 May, 2011, France awoke to a political earthquake: a sex scandal involving the (now former) French president of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, arrested for an alleged sexual assault against a housekeeper in a New York hotel. On day three after the revelation, French bloggers are still struggling to grasp the implications of this global scandal on French politics.

World: FIFA Election – House of Knaves or Knights?

  18 May 2011

Football fans have been treated to some really interesting times in the last few months. The latest is the FIFA election, which comes at a time when one of the most powerful non-governmental bodies in the world has suddenly has started looking vulnerable.

Spain: Thousands of People Take the Streets

  17 May 2011

Spanish citizens have taken to the streets this week to protest against corruption, unemployment, and a political structure that favors a two-party system. "We're not merchandise in the hands of bankers and politicians," was the motto of tens of thousands who demonstrated all over the country on May 15. Protests and sit-ins will continue.

Denmark: Controversial Law Re-Introduces Border Control

  16 May 2011

Danish nationalist right wing party, The Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti/DF), recently announced the re-introduction of controls at the country's borders with Germany and Sweden. The centre-right minority government in Copenhagen capitulated and the proposal went through. Danish netizens have reacted to the news.

Portugal: A Proposal to Make Free Culture Illegal

  16 May 2011

Luis Alves writes about the Socialist Party proposal regarding privacy copies [pt], which says that authors have the inalienable and non-waivable right to the perception of a compensation for their work. Glyn Moody adds “if Creative Commons licenses become illegal in Portugal, this would presumably mean that contributing to Wikipedia...

Spain: Real Democracy Now!

  15 May 2011

The Spanish online movement Democracia Real Ya [es] demands the human right to live with dignity and the end of political and economic corporatism. They have convened a national protest for today, May 15th in many cities in Spain. You can follow the demonstrations on Twitter under the account @democraciareal.

Africa: Reactions to The Beatification of Pope John Paul II

  15 May 2011

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all around the world landed on Rome to participate in religious ceremonies for the beautification of Pope John Paul II, known as “JP2”, declared “Blessed” on May 1st by his successor, Benedict XVI, in the presence of official delegations from 87 countries and 2300 journalists. In Africa, where an estimated 150 million Catholics live, what stirred a controversy is the attendance of some African presidents and bloggers were particularly shocked by the presence of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

Greece: Wave of Racist Attacks on Immigrants in Athens

  13 May 2011

In the past days, right-wing extremists in Athens, Greece have launched pogrom-like attacks on immigrants in the downtown Athens area. Dozens have been injured. It began on May 10, one day after a 44-year old escorting his pregnant wife to the hospital was mugged and stabbed to death.

May 11, 1981: 30 Years Ago, Bob Marley and François Mitterrand

  13 May 2011

“François Mitterrand and Bob Marley, united for eternity on May 11th 1981″, [fr] is a post on the blog Calédosphère commemorating the 30th anniversary of the passing of the “God of Reggae”, Bob Marley, and the election of former French President François Mitterrand. Bob Marley fans can visit the blog [fr]...

Italy: How technology can help manage emergencies

  12 May 2011

In a crisis, how can Web 2.0 be of use to social movements and what practical help can it offer to facilitate collective action? In reality, there is no shortage of platforms which, established on a voluntary basis, using free software, harness the internet and mobile phones to gather and share information, sourced...

Spain: Earthquake Shakes Murcia

  12 May 2011

Lorca, in the region of Murcia, Spain, was shaken by two earthquakes that have caused nine casualties to date and approximately 300 injured. Information, opinions, and support has spread through blogs and digital networks.

Spain: Videos of the Earthquake in Lorca

  12 May 2011

Citizen videos show the aftermath of the 5.1 and 4.5 earthquake which struck the city of Lorca in the region of Murcia, Spain on May 11th. According to the City Council, between 20 000 and 30 000 people slept on the streets, while brigades check buildings for safety.

Slovakia: Second-Class Customers

Even though customers might expect products from the same brand to be of the same quality worldwide, regional differences in quality and price do exist, depending on whether the products were manufactured for Western European markets or for those in Central and Eastern Europe. Tibor Blazko reports on the reactions of Slovak netizens to a recent study on the issue.

Global Blogging Competition on Water Issues

The European Journalism Centre has launched a three month international blogging competition focusing on water issues called TH!NK5. Bloggers from 40 different countries joined the contest, aiming to win the final prize: a trip to Lisbon, Portugal. Here are some of the most popular and original posts written by some of the winners.

Portugal: Memory of Political Police Officer on Trial

  9 May 2011

Three portuguese theatre figures are on court [pt] because of a play about the life of the late Silva Pais [pt], the last director of the repressive police of the dictatorship, PIDE. Bloggers are outraged [pt] with the accusations of Dias’ nephews, who say that the play disrespects their uncle's...

France : demonstration at the Syrian Embassy

  7 May 2011

On Tuesday, 3 May 2011, World Press Freedom Day, representatives from Reporters Without Borders demonstrated in front of the Syrian Embassy in Paris. Video of the demonstration [in French and English].