· February, 2012

Stories about Western Europe from February, 2012

Greece: Photos, Videos and Liveblogs from Anti-Austerity Protests, Clashes in Athens

  13 February 2012

Photos and videos from the latest massive anti-austerity protests in downtown Athens on February 12, 2012, the extensive clashes that ensued and their aftermath were posted on Real Democracy Now, while 19 photosets were uploaded on Demotix. Photos were also posted by Odysseas Galinos Paparounis and John Carnessiotis on Flickr, and on Athensville....

Portugal: Protests Against ACTA

  12 February 2012

On February 11, more than 200 cities around the world joined the global protests against ACTA. In Portugal, around 300 people demonstrated on the streets of Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Viseu and Braga, following the calls that had been organized via Facebook.

France: How Are PACS and Marriage Different?

  10 February 2012

Pierre Vicari [fr] had this to say about the results of a survey [fr] which appeared on the site Lefigaro.fr, “To the ignoramuses who say that PACS and marriage are the same thing: No! A PACS does not provide any of the same rights as marriage! In addition, you intolerant people who do not...

France: A Drone Campaigning… for President

  10 February 2012

Dédé l'Abeillaud (another name for a drone – a male bee in a colony of social bees, which inspires his costume) is the self-proclaimed candidate of biodiversity for the French presidential election of 2012. He boasts of winning over 300 promised votes for local officials, as much as the National...

Spain: The Rebel Grandparents of the 15M

  9 February 2012

The majority of them far exceed the age of 60, they're retired, they're "iaios" (grandparents in Catalan) and they're veterans of activism. Lali Sandiumenge interviews some members of the “Iaioflautas”, a collective that emerged in Barcelona last October in the camp out at Plaza Catalunya.

France: The first Muslim public cemetery

  8 February 2012

Hanan Ben Rhouma of Saphir News reports [fr] that: “The first Muslim public cemetery in France was open in Strasbourg on Monday, February 6. In a sense, it is a unique cemetery of that kind because it is the first to be managed by local public authorities based on the  Alsace-Moselle Accord...

Italy: Volunia, a Serendipity-based Search Engine

  8 February 2012

On the blog Presse-citron, Jean-Marie Le Ray wites about”Volunia” [fr], the new search engine in 12 languages ​​invented by Professor Massimo Marchiori of the University of Padua (Italy) : “this is a new concept of navigation of our times I think a test, a laboratory of ideas , also with a prospective vision...

Spain: A Letter From Syria

  7 February 2012

Take the Square publishes a letter from Khaled Khalifa from Syria: “I would like to inform you that my people is being subjected to a genocide.”

Italy: More Protests Against Austerity and Information Deficit

  7 February 2012

The austerity measures being implemented in EU countries are still drawing popular opposition. Especially in a country like Italy, already strained by years of government mismanagement and budget issues -- not to mention a relevant information deficit.

Global Voices Podcast: Occupy This!

  1 February 2012

Welcome to another edition of the Global Voices podcast. In this episode we talk through some of the ideas and issues surrounding the global Occupy movement and protests, as we listen to recordings from our team in different parts of the world.