Stories from 18 March 2012
Iran: A poem dedicated to a blogger who died in prison
Leila Farjami has dedicated a poem to Omid Reza Mirsayafi,a blogger who died in prison three years ago.Read more here.
Turkey: Police Attack Kurds Celebrating Newroz
Thousands of Kurds took to the streets in celebration of Newroz across Turkey today but were dispersed with water cannons and tear gas. The celebration marks the first day of Spring. Kurds in the past were not allowed to exert their Kurdish identity in public, but since the 1980s, Newroz has become a symbolic event in highlighting Kurdish culture, and identity.
Syria: When Assad Falls
Like all Arabs protesting against their dictators, Syrians have many hopes and aspirations for life after the toppling of their dictator Bashar Al Assad. On Twitter, Syrians are sharing their dreams under the hash tag #WhenAssadFalls
Slovakia: Corruption, Parliamentary Elections, and SMER's Comeback
The March 10 victory in the Slovak parliamentary elections is not the first one for the SMER-Social Democracy party. Formerly a communist, now a social democrat, the party's leader Robert Fico has won for the third time in a row already. Tibor Blazko provides background on this year's vote and reviews some of the online reactions.
Yemen: Remembering the Friday of Dignity
A year ago, around 52 protesters were killed and close to 100 were reportedly injured in Sanaa. Netizens remember the day, March 18 - a turning point in Yemen's revolution, which made many people, statesmen, diplomats, and soldiers defect and join the ranks of the protesters.
Puerto Rico: The New Greece?
The financial analyst Cate Long, in her blog on Reuters.com, highlights the similarities between Greece's and Puerto Rico's economies. Her column became a target of attacks by the governor of Puerto Rico's, Luis Fortuño, administration. Social networks and blogs amplified the debate about the Caribbean island's fragile economy.
Brazil: Solidarity March for Syrian Revolution
Syrian revolution support reached Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 18. Hundreds of activists in Sao Paulo rallied to show their solidarity with the Syrian struggle on its first anniversary.
Egypt: RIP Pope Shenouda III
Yesterday, the sun set on Egypt with a somber note - Pope Shenouda III, the Head of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church, had died after a long severe battle of illness at the age of 89. Netizens react to the news.
Zambia: Government Deregisters Former Ruling Party
Zambia’s biggest opposition party, the MMD which was ousted from power by the Patriotic Front (PF) after the September 2011 elections after 20 years in power, was on March 14, deregistered by authorities for allegedly not paying statutory fees for the period it was in government. Zambians online react to this new development.
A Love Letter From Israel to Iran
A message of love from Israelis to Iranians sounds stranger than fiction in these tense years where Iranian and Israeli governments threaten each other constantly. But we see examples of just this in a new Facebook campaign.
Philippines: Noynoying is the New Planking
Because planking protests are now banned in the Philippines, activists resorted to Noynoying. What is Noynoying and how did it replace planking as a popular protest pose in the country? Noynoying refers to President Noynoy Aquino who is accused by activists of doing nothing to stop the rising prices of oil and other basic goods. Noynoying pictures have gone viral already in the local cyberspace.
Azerbaijan: A Rare Opportunity for Opposition Youth to Protest
On 17 March, slightly more than two months before the Eurovision Song Contest is due to be held in Baku, opposition youth in Azerbaijan held a rare sanctioned rally in one of the outer districts of the country's capital.
