Stories about Western Europe from October, 2012
Portugal: Global Noise Cultural Protest in Images
In Portugal, October 13's Global Noise pot-banging protests took the form of performing arts and cultural demonstrations in 14 cities, under the motto "Screw the troika! We want our lives". In this post we gather a selection of photos and videos from the protests.
Mauritania: Confusion Reigns over “Accidental” Shots that Wounded President Aziz
“@weddady: The official version on Aziz being “wounded lightly” was completely nonsense. He is seriously injured à la Dadis Camara.. #Mauritania“ Twitter update from Mauritanian activist Nasser Waddady upon hearing official reports that Mauritanian president Aziz was accidentally shot (video of Aziz at a Nouakchott hospital). Aziz was then airlifted to a...
Greece: Theater Critic Assaulted by Neo-Nazi and Religious Protesters
Religious groups and neo-nazis protested against gay-themed play Corpus Christi in Athens on 11 October, 2012. Deeming it blasphemous, they assaulted a theater critic and forced the cancellation of the performance. Netizens reacted in shocked outrage, demanding an end to the unchecked spiral of violence perpetrated by neo-nazis in recent months.
Global Community: “We Should Not Pay”
On October 13, the initiative #globalnoise, supported by different activist movements, called for a global "pots and pans" protest. The website #globalnoise coordinated the initiatives of movements and individuals.
Serbia: Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2012
Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2012 took place in Belgrade on October 13–14, 2012, and is the first Wikimedia CEE Meeting for Central and Eastern Europe. The primary goal of the event is to intensify cooperation among the Wiki communities, Wikimedia chapters, and other interested groups from Central and Eastern Europe. The...
Greece: Police Post Photos of Youth Detained at General Strike
Greek police preemptively arrested and beat young people intending to join massive anti-austerity demonstrations on September 26, 2012. When they also published their photos and identities online, furious reactions ensued from Greek netizens.
Mali: MOJWA Threatens the Lives of Hostages and French President over Military Intervention
The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) via its speaker Oumar Ould Hamaha has threatened the lives of hostages and French President [fr] because of the planned military intervention in Northern Mali that the UN security council has unanimously approved [fr]. Activist associations Coren and the FDR organized a march on...
General-Secretary of La Francophonie Wants a Seat for Africa at the UN Security Council
Abidjan Net writes [fr] that General-Secretary of La Francophonie Abdou Diouf demanded at the opening of the 2012 Francophonie Summit [fr] that the African continent be granted a seat at the UN security Council. He argues that the current situation allows for some nations to be blamed for human rights violations whereas others nations are getting...
Spain: Government Insults Judge for Exonerating Protestors
Judge Pedraz's writ, which closes the case against eight people detained at the 25-S protests, has not gone down at all well in government circles. The Congress spokesperson, Rafael Hernando, has described the decision as "indecent and unacceptable" and labelled the judge a "posh anarchist."
DR of Congo: Tension Between Kinshasa and Paris as Summit Commences
Le Potentiel writes that [fr] French president Hollande's assessment of Human Rights violations in DR of Congo were not taken lightly by the Congolese government as the Francophone Summit is set to take place in Kinshasa, DRC. The two governments seem to be at odds on the death of Human right activist...
Global Pot-Banging Protests Scheduled for October 13
A day of pot-banging protests promises to shake the most sensitive ears across across the globe on October 13, 2012. The Global Noise initiative, organized by the international networks of Occupy, Indignados, and other social justice movements, aims to build on a wide variety of struggles for global justice and solidarity.
France: World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg
The first edition of the World Forum for Democracy is currently taking place in Strasbourg, France (5-11 october, 2012). The theme of the forum is “Bridging the map: democracy between old models and new realities”. You can follow the discussions under the Twitter hashtag #CoE_WFD. Director of International Freedom of...
France, World Bank to Help African Nations Negotiate Mining Contracts
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Franc Zone monetary cooperation agreements, the president of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, and the French Minister of Finance, Pierre Moscovici, have published a joint text advocating the establishment of an initiative to end "the excessive exploitation of Africa’s reserves". African bloggers have been giving their opinions on this development.
France: Online News Association Votes Rue89 “Best Foreign Site”
Our partners and friends at Rue89 [fr] won the Online News Association (ONA) prize for “General Excellence, Non-English” in San Francisco last weekend. Pierre Haski, co-founder, tells of the adventure [fr] that is Rue89. Launched in May 2007, it became a great success based on the concept of “Information from...
France, Africa: Black Fashion Week Marred by Visa Problems
Two renowned African fashion designers and several models have been denied entry to France for Black Fashion Week October 2012. This event was created by Senegalese fashion designer Adama Paris to show the world the diversity and influence of African creativity on contemporary fashion and has been held in Dakar, Senegal for the past ten years. The first show outside Dakar took place in Prague in November 2011, since then, it has travelled from place to place. The designers made public statements on their struggle to obtain short stay visas.
Kyrgyzstan: Lake Son-Kul in Photos and Prose
The lonely beauty of Lake Son-Kul has long caught the imagination of foreign visitors to Kyrgyzstan. At the beginning of October when the grazing season ends, when yurts are packed up and the herders head for their homes, Son-Kul fades into myth, its existence recalled only by the surreal photography and prose it has inspired.
On National Holiday Portugal's President Hoists Flag – Upside Down
The official celebrations of October 5 in Portugal, a national holiday that celebrates the establishment of the republic in 1910, was marked this year by a symbolic and rather unfortunate act by President Cavaco Silva, who unintentionally hoisted the country's flag upside-down.
France : Mystery of Blue Honey Bees Solved
Vkarole writes [fr] that bees in Ribeauvillé, France (Alsace region) started to produce a mysterious blue honey. After an investigation, the beekeepers determined that the color came from a dye used by M&M's factory in the vicinity where a few bees would gather.
Spain: Police Violence During Protest Outside Congress
The 25S movement brought thousands of people together to protest in front of the Spanish Parliament in Madrid on September 25. The atmosphere became tense, just as predicted, with police charges coming soon after. Once again, social networks were the most commonly used means of sharing information.
Spain: The Banks Win, the People Lose
The consulting firm Oliver Wyman, which assesses the solidity of the main Spanish banks, has made public its conclusion: the banks will need 52 000 million euros to get out of their precarious economic situation. Lourdes Sada analyses the situation and covers some reactions on the net.