Stories about Western Europe from August, 2011
Spain: The Importance of the McBride Report
Journalist and blogger Nubia Esmeralda Rojas offers an in-depth analysis of the famous McBride Report (1980) and its relevance in the age of the Internet and social media.
Arab World: Watching London “Burn” in Social Media
Arab Twitter users are sharing their perspectives on the ongoing rioting in the United Kingdom, which started three days ago. Many frown on the actions of rioters and their vandalism, insisting there is no comparison to draw between what is happening in the UK and the ongoing revolutions and protests across the Arab world.
United Kingdom: Making Sense of the London Riots
London woke up to a wave of destruction on Tuesday morning, following another night of anarchic rioting and looting. As communities clear the damage and brace themselves for more unrest, the country is trying to make sense of the events, which have highlighted deep tensions in the relationship between political leaders, the police and the communities they aim to serve.
United Kingdom: Time for #RiotCleanup in London?
After extensive looting and rioting across London and other cities in the United Kingdom since Saturday night, ordinary citizens are now looking for ways to help their cities heal. On Tuesday morning the hashtags #prayforlondon and #riotcleanup have overtaken #londonriots on Twitter.
Japan: Perspective on London Riots scale in relation to Tokyo
To get perspective on the geographical scale of the London Riots, @c50cub96 mapped a comparison to the greater Tokyo area.
United Kingdom: London Burning (Videos)
Anger over the police killing of a 29-year old man in Tottenham, north London on August 4, 2011 fueled by racial tension, has spiralled into rioting and looting by youth across London and other cities in the United Kingdom.
Global: Tracking Teacher Strikes and Protests
In one week, Teachersolidarity.com has written of teacher strikes and struggles in Puerto Rico, Chile, Kashmir, Orissa, Greece, Bahrain and Washington D.C. The blog is an online companion to the book, The Global Assault on Teaching, Teachers and their Unions: Stories for Resistance.
Spain: Journalist Arrested and Demonstrations Restricted
The Spanish protest movement that took thousands to the streets to demand a more democratic system has reached a new stage. The authorities have decided not to allow any more demonstrations and have tried to prevent demonstrators from gathering.
Sierra Leone : Agrofuels versus Food Security
Michelle Nougoum, in a post published on on afrik.com [fr] points out another case of land leasing in Africa for the purpose of agrofuels in Sierra Leone : “[The Swiss firm] Addax et Oryx intends to exploit 57 000 hectares of lands that is home to 13 000 people for...
Norway: The Lesbian Couple who Saved 40 Teenagers
U.S. gay rights blog Talk About Equality explain what compelled them to write a hugely popular post earlier this week calling attention to a lesbian married couple who rescued 40 teenagers during the massacre on Utøya island in Norway last week.
A Letter From China to the Norwegian Killer
Many Chinese netizens could not comprehend the atrocities committed by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway. In their eyes, Norway is a paradise, where people enjoy a high standard of living and do not need to confront the pressures of survival. How could it happen?
France: The Forgotten Tunisian Refugees of #Botzaris36
After several months of wandering, 30 Tunisian migrants are currently sleeping rough in a park in Paris. #Botzaris36 is the hashtag launched on Twitter to help them out both financially and legally, in what is a complicated legal and political situation involving France and Tunisia. Anna Gueye reports.
Lithuania-Austria: Continued Controversy Over Ex-KGB Man
Albatros of Litauen blog discusses [ger] the ongoing controversy between Lithuania and Austria, after authorities in Vienna let go of an internationally wanted ex-KGB officer, who allegedly was party to the January 1991 Vilnius killings of Lithuanians by soviet troops.
United Kingdom: #BlameTheMuslims Twitter Hashtag Spins Out of Context
Sanum Ghafoor is a 19-year old Muslim student in the UK. Aggravated at how Muslims were immediately accused for any act of violence, especially following last week's Oslo attacks, Sanum let out steam by tweeting with the hashtag #blamethemuslims. The hashtag was wholly taken out of context, leading to a plethora of frustrated users.
Portugal: Lusophone Communities “Have a Look” at the Center of Porto
The Portuguese cultural and artistic association 10pt has launched the initiative Olha Lá (Have a Look) [pt] aiming at “gathering an itinerant object through the Portuguese language space”. The Lusophone communities in Porto are thus called to share and spread the perceptions of diaspora across the historic center of town...
