Jillian C. York

Latest posts by Jillian C. York

Syria: Protesters Demolish Symbols of Regime

In Syria, the faces of President Bashar al-Assad and his father, former President Hafez al-Assad, are regularly seen on billboards, buildings, and in the form of statues. Visitors to the country are often surprised by the prevalence of such images, while Syrians have grown used to them as a daily feature of life. Yesterday, a number of videos surfaced in which protesters tear down the symbols of the regime: posters and statues of the ruling family.

Syria: Citizen Videos Show Horror in Daraa

As the crackdown on protests in Daraa continues and reports pour in of more deaths, citizen reporters in the town are capturing video and uploading it to YouTube, which was only recently unblocked in Syria. The videos in this post show the extent of the violent crackdown in Daraa.

Morocco: The Winds of Change

For the past month, Moroccans have taken to the streets to call for a reform of the constitution and for the establishment of a democratic parliamentary system. On March 20, 2011, the peaceful protests, which took place in cities both large and small, continued, inspiring bloggers in Morocco and the Diaspora to share their thoughts.

Arab World: How Much Does Internet Access Matter?

Amidst the ongoing debate of the role of social media in revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa lies another question: To what degree does Internet access matter in determining the role of the Internet and social media in these revolts? Jillian C. York looks at different ideas about the effects of Internet penetration on the effectiveness of social media organizing.

Morocco: Fadoua Laroui, our own Mohamed Bouazizi

When young Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire in the town of Sidi Bouzid, he couldn't have imagined the chain of events his act would set off. Now, in Morocco, the self-immolation of a young woman, Fadoua Laroui, has Moroccan bloggers debating the cause and effect of such an action.

Arab World: The Great Social Media Debate

  21 February 2011

For months it seems, a debate has been raging over the role of social media in demonstrations. More recently, that debate has focused on Tunisia and Egypt, where sites like Facebook and Twitter were prominent in the organizing of protests. Here's one element of that debate, from Twitter.

Morocco: Portraits of a Protest

  21 February 2011

Few captured the February 20, 2011 protests in Morocco as beautifully as Omar El Hyani, whose photos from Rabat were linked to by The Nation and posted on the blog Mamfakinch. Here we pick a selection of the best images.

Morocco: Across the Nation, Demonstration

  20 February 2011

In the broader context of the Arab world, Morocco has one particularly unique feature: Whereas other countries in the region often have two cities of importance, Morocco has six...at least. Jillian C. York reports on online activity from Morocco's most important hubs.

Egypt: Cleaning Tahrir

  12 February 2011

For the past few weeks, as Egyptians "cleaned" their country of a dictatorship, Tahrir Square was full of people, full of joy, and as a result, full of things to clean up. Today, Egyptians share the news that the square is fully cleaned, and better than when they found it.

Bahrain: Valentine's Day or a Day of Anger?

  5 February 2011

In Bahrain, both online and off, residents have expressed solidarity with Egyptians, even holding a protest at the Egyptian embassy on February 4. Though the rally was largely a solidarity action, for Bahrain's own opposition, the protest--which was sanctioned with a permit by the government--was an opportunity to vent their own concerns.