Stories about Western Europe from February, 2012
Greece: Photos, Videos and Liveblogs from Anti-Austerity Protests, Clashes in Athens
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....
Macedonia: British MEP Tweets His Emergency Landing at Skopje Airport
A drama in the air over the Skopje airport received an immediate reflection via Twitter, after a successful emergency landing. Filip Stojanovski reports.
Portugal: Protests Against ACTA
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.
Germany, France: Disparities in Policies Regarding the Integration of Foreign Students
Elsa Doladille writes [fr] on the Educators Without Borders blog : ” While the Guéant Bill in France aims at toughening the conditions for foreign students to obtain a work permit, Germany encourages the integration of students from abroad in their workforce.”
France: How Are PACS and Marriage Different?
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
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...
Georgia: Allegations made online against billionaire opposition politician
As parliamentary elections approach this year in Georgia, to be followed by a presidential vote in 2013, allegations against Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire opposition politician, have appeared on the Internet. The alleged exposé of life in the Ivanishvili household by American teacher Patrick Downey, formerly employed by the businessman turned...
Spain: The Rebel Grandparents of the 15M
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
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
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
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
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!
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.