Stories about Protest from October, 2012
Far-Right Party Performs Strongly in Ukrainian Vote
While the results of the Oct. 28 elections in Ukraine are still being finalized, netizens are already discussing the anticipated outcome. Many are paying special attention to VO Svoboda, a far-right party, and its victorious leap over the 5% threshold necessary to get any Parliament seats.
China: Ningbo Protests Point to Middle Class Discontent
Over the weekend, residents took to the streets in Ningbo, Zhejiang, to protest against the expansion of a paraxylene (PX) plant in their city. Sophie Beach from China Digital Times highlights the middle class discontent reflected in the protest.
Panama: Statements After the Chaos Unleashed by Law 72
The impressions of Panamanians and foreigners living in the country were immediate after the chaos unleashed by the approval of Law 72. This law, without consultation, promoted the sale of land in the Colón Free Trade Zone, a source of income for the country and this province that practically lies in ruins after having gone unnoticed by the government. The protests against the law have left four dead and dozens injured and detained.
Russia: Assessing Predictions About the Coordinating Council Election
As RuNet Echo readers know well, the Coordinating Council's elections took place last week, and that body has already convened virtually through Facebook and once again in person. Weeks in advance of the vote, Global Voices offered projections based on Yandex's blogger rating index. Here, we've assessed those predictions against the actual results and another forecast model
President Martinelli Addresses Panama After Repealing Law 72
President Martinelli of Panama gave a conciliatory speech to try and draw a close to a chaotic week which has left four people dead and many injured as they demonstrated against Law 72. The law authorising sale of land in the Free Zone of Colon was finally repealed. Reactions to the speech on Twitter were many and varied.
Confusion over Agreement with OIC to Establish Office in Myanmar
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has proposed the establishment of an office in Myanmar to help the Muslim minority in the country. The government initially agreed but changed its decision after protests erupted in many parts of the country.
Spain: The Minister of Education's Many Gaffes
The Minister of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain, José Ignacio Wert, has sparked controversy after controversy since taking up his position less than a year ago. Netizens have not turned a blind eye.
Slovakia: Protesting SOZA's Newest Copyright Fees
SOZA's general manager Vladimír Repčík addressed Slovak high school seniors via his blog on October 22, urging them to register with his agency and pay €15 for their traditional graduation parties. Tibor Blazko reports on the controversy.
Occupy Movement Rallies for ‘Debt Strike’ Worldwide
Under the slogan “You are not a loan, you are not alone”, Occupy Wall Street's “Strike Debt” group is aiming to inject life into a resistance movement against debt repayment. The operation is gaining worldwide support, and could very well revive the protest movement Occupy Wall Street which was born a year ago.
Chile: Mapuche Prisoners End Hunger Strike After 60 Days
After 60 days on hunger strike, four Mapuche prisoners have ended their protest after the Chilean Supreme Court agreed to some of their demands. This struggle has also brought to light divisions about the conflict among Chileans.
Russia: Cryptanalytic Vulnerabilities in the Opposition's Online Elections
The opposition's Elections Commission accidentally leaked personal voter data to one of its most dangerous enemies, Sergei Mavrodi's MMM group. How avoidable was this mistake, and does the fact that it happened indicate more serious vulnerabilities in the protest movement's digital self-defense?
Panama: President Cancels Colón Land Sale Plans
“If the people of Colón don't want the land in the tax-free zone to be sold, the sale will be canceled. The rise in rents 100% for Colón” Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli (@rmartinelli) [es] tweeted on October 23, 2012, in response to the protests and clashes in Colón sparked by...
Philippines: Anti-Mining Activist Arrested over Facebook Post
The arrest of a 62-year old anti-mining activist in the Philippines for a 'libelous' Facebook post spawned fears of a clampdown on dissenters through the recently enacted anti-cybercrime legislation.
Russia: With Opposition's Online Elections Over, Scandals Plague Results
The Coordinating Council elections are finally over. Now that the final tally is in, it’s time to look more closely at what happened. Scandals and provocations have led to results with more than a few critics among and outside the opposition.
Mexico: Central American Mothers in Search of Missing Migrants
In the last six years around 70,000 migrants have disappeared in Mexico. Central American mothers of abducted and missing migrants are traveling in a caravan all over Mexico looking for their sons and daughters who have disappeared on their way north. The women also hope to capture the media's attention and raise awareness on this issue that has been largely ignored.
Portugal: Initiative Against Proposed State Budget
The interest rates on the public debt are “the only expenses that can be cut without recessive effects, bringing benefit to the liberation of resources for investment and job creation”, states [pt] the Democratic Congress of Alternatives on an online public petition [pt] to reject Portuguese government's Proposed State Budget...
Ukraine: Homophobic Bill Considered Ahead of Election
Shortly after scrapping the infamous defamation bill in early October, Ukrainian MPs passed another scandalous proposal in the first reading, aimed at “defending children from the propaganda of homosexual lifestyle and the HIV/AIDS infection associated with it.” Tetyana Bohdanova reports.
Guyana: Upcoming Chris Brown Concert Upsets Anti-Violence Advocates
When news broke that Barbadian-born singer Rihanna's then-boyfriend Chris Brown had allegedly assaulted her, Caribbean bloggers were outraged. Talk of an upcoming Chris Brown concert in Georgetown has bloggers speaking out about the dangerous message it sends about gender violence.
Guatemala: Soldiers Arrested Over Totonicapán Killings
Blogger Nic Wirtz says that the arrest of eight soldiers after the clashes in Totonicapán -which left at least 8 indigenous protestors dead- is “the first test of Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina's mano dura (iron fist) approach to restoring law and order.”