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May, 2011

Monthly archive · 189 posts

Stories from May, 2011

17 May 2011

Egypt: Online Campaigns to Release Arrested Protesters Underway

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Egyptian cyber activists went back to their keyboards to demand the release of protesters and bystanders arrested on Sunday for being at a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Cairo to commemorate the Nakba (Day of Catastrophe as it is known in the Arab world) which marks the day the State of Israel was created in 1948.

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Spain: Thousands of People Take the Streets

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Spanish citizens have taken to the streets this week to protest against corruption, unemployment, and a political structure that favors a two-party system. "We're not merchandise in the hands of bankers and politicians," was the motto of tens of thousands who demonstrated all over the country on May 15. Protests and sit-ins will continue.

Zambia: Whistle-Blowing Or Personal Vendetta?

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In Zambia, it is very rare for politicians holding ministerial positions to resign on their own without a hint of scandal. Bloggers have been discussing the shock resignation of former Defence Minister George Mpombo back in July 2009, and the various unusual incidents that have involved him since.

China: Another Failed Grassroots Election

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A retired worker from Jiangxi province, China, Liu Ping, had decided to run an economic justice campaign in the grassroots level election for her local seat in China's People's Congress. In the process, she and her supporters have been harassed by local police and on May 13, 2011, she was forcibly detained.

Tunisia: Internet Censorship Makes a Comeback

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Tunisian netizens have enjoyed an unprecedented access to the Internet, following the fall of the Ben Ali regime in mid-January and the end of the country's previous web censorship. This short honeymoon seems to be coming to an end however, with a military court's recent order to block four Facebook pages. Netizens react to the new development in this post.

Jordan: Debating a Possible GCC Union

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The announcement that Jordan and Morocco might join the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) caused an immediate shockwave of reactions. Many Jordanians were elated at the news, saying that it would lead to better economic conditions for their country. Betsy Fisher rounds up more reactions from netizens in this post.

Saudi Arabia: A Woman Challenges the Law by Driving in Jeddah

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Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive. One Saudi woman claimed that right when she drove her children to school in Jeddah. Netizens debate the move, with many applauding Najla Hariri for her heroic feat.

Brazil: Barbeque as Protest in São Paulo

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A new kind of protest has become a hit in Brazil: the barbeque. Those behind it are part of a "new" social class in Brazil: so-called "different people". To understand why public transport users in São Paulo would organize on Facebook and invent the barbeque-protest, read this post, collaboratively written by the Global Voices in Portuguese team.

Guatemala: Brutality and Impunity: Over 28 Decapitated in Petén

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This weekend in Guatemala was the bloodiest of 2011. Citizens in the northernmost state of El Petén, are in the middle of one of the worst armed encounters between the Army and one of the most dangerous drug cartels: the Zetas. Not only were at least 28 peasants brutally killed, but also a school, a police station and other public places were bombed.

16 May 2011

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Ecuador: Three Years After the Factory Tragedy

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April 19 marked three years since the fire at the Factory discotheque in Quito while a gothic rock concert was in progress. As a result, 19 were killed and 24 wounded. This anniversary, a homage was paid and a move to sensitise the people about this issue was made by the family and friends of the victims.

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