· May, 2012

Stories about Western Europe from May, 2012

France: The Little-known Abolition of Slavery Memorial in Nantes

  14 May 2012

Website citizen-nantes.com reported that [fr]: “On the evening of Saturday March 24, 2012, the ‘Collectif du 10 Mai’, a group of Afro-Caribbean associations from Nantes, invited the people of Nantes to a ‘Gathering in honour of the victims, the abolitionists and those who fought against slavery’ in the little-known Square...

Spain: Arts Also Blossom in the Global Spring

  14 May 2012

The arts have also flourished with the 15M movement. To commemorate the 15M's first anniversary, the 12M--15M events, and to invite everyone to take to the streets again, the blog # Acampadasol has published a series of amazing posters that reveal many of the reasons behind the protests.

Spain: “Neighbor, Wake Up, Evictions at Your Doorstep!”

  14 May 2012

As part of the profound socioeconomic crisis, home foreclosures and evictions are rampant in Spain. Author Elena Arrontes covered the eviction of a Bangladeshi family from its home in the neighborhood of Lavapiés, Madrid. Neighbors and other members of the community immediately acted in solidarity with the family.

Greece: HIV-Positive Sex Workers Brutally Exposed Online

  12 May 2012

A multitude of reactions came after the Greek police uploaded photos and personal data of HIV-positive sex workers to a website. NGOs and hundreds of netizens, condemned through social media, those responsible for this campaign, as well as mainstream media for their biased coverage.

Greece: Police Violence Against Immigrants on the Rise

  12 May 2012

Greek social media has been in uproar over a video posted on Facebook and Twitter, showing police officers overtly abusing a detained immigrant in downtown Athens. Racist and police violence in Greece has been on a worrying rise in recent years, while the promised administrative police reform is still pending.

Spain: Many Reasons to Take to the Streets on 12M

  12 May 2012

On 15 May in Spain the first anniversary of the 15M will be commemorated. The events begin on 12 May (12M) in cities and neighborhoods. Spanish netizens have been anticipating the commemoration for days. The hashtags #YoVoy12M (I'm Going 12M) and #ALaPlaza (To The Square) have been TTs in Spain and throughout the world.

Europe: Economic Crisis Fuels Rise in Anti-Immigration Politics

The French presidential election may be over, but the fact that outgoing president Nicolas Sarkozy chose immigration as the core theme of his campaign is still the subject of much debate on the Web. Many netizens have wondered whether his choice to flirt with the far-right wing of his party helped temper his defeat or whether, on the contrary, it was one of the reasons his electorate deserted him.

Greece: Olympic Flame Lit in Ancient Olympia

  10 May 2012

Following the traditional ceremony, the Olympic flame was lit at the Hera Temple of Ancient Olympia. The high-priestess, Ino Menegaki, delivered the flame to the first runner, world champion Greek swimmer Spyros Giannotis. The Flame will travel to London for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Spain: #NoMoreEuros for Bankia

  10 May 2012

The web in Spain has been seething since it was reported that the government is preparing a plan to inject public money into Bankia, the fourth largest bank in the country and the most exposed to the real estate market. Since the crisis started in 2008, the government has supported Bankia with more than 33 billion euros. The current bail-out plan could be as much as 10 billion.

Armenia: The Bambir in Ireland

CHEWYOUROWNFAT reviews Beezzy, a new song by one of Armenia's most well known rock bands, The Bambir. The independent music blog says that the group, now relocated to Ireland, defines original and is definitely an act to catch live.

Belgium: Video Shows Campaign to Curb Texting and Driving

  7 May 2012

The Impossible texting and driving test is part of a campaign to raise awareness to the dangers of texting using mobile devices while driving in Belgium. Several young people doing their behind the wheel driving test were surprised to know there was a new test section requiring them to text...

Greece: Rise of Neo-Nazi Group ‘Golden Dawn’

  6 May 2012

Facebook group ‘Leme OCHI sti Chrysi Avgi‘ (We say NO to Golden Dawn) [el] already has more than 11,000 likes. Created on December 2011, the anti-fascist group declares that “Fascism is gangrene, either you rip it off or it kills you”. Group members try to persuade people not to vote...

Greece: Public Speech Controversies

  5 May 2012

Before the May 6, 2012, General Election in Greece, Friday 4 was the last day political parties could organize public speeches and rallies. Heavy criticism was levelled at PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos's choice to give a public speech at Syntagma Square in Athens, center of anti-government and anti-austerity mass citizen protests so...