· March, 2010

Stories about Protest from March, 2010

Philippines: Online and Offline Student Protests for Education

  31 March 2010

This past week's student protests in the Philippines demanding greater government budget for education and the prevention of tuition and other fee increases for the coming school year also has an online component in the form of the March 29 Blog Action Day for Education. Participating blogs write about the...

University of the Philippines Controversies

  28 March 2010

The U.P. ISSUES, an alternative weblog that looks at the “view from the other side that never sees print in UP's official website,” posts commentaries, statements, and news reports on the controversial issues hounding the University of the Philippines, the country's premier state university.

Japan: A whale of a controversy

  27 March 2010

Only a few days after The Cove was awarded the Oscar as best documentary, drawing public and media attention around the world to the hunting of cetaceans issue, anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd’s leader Peter Bethune was arrested in Tokyo, re-igniting the controversy between Japan and Australia-New Zealand.

Russia: Two Video Scandals

RuNet Echo  27 March 2010

In Russia this week it has been hard to miss the two scandals that, at first, appear to have only one thing in common: both are centered around amateur videos published online. Heated discussions in the blogosphere and in other online venues are taking place on quite different orbits - which nevertheless do have one or two overlap points.

Russia: Website Closed By Police Order

RuNet Echo  26 March 2010

20marta.ru, an opposition website dedicated to the “Day of Anger” held on March 20, was closed by police after just one day of functioning, kasparov.ru reported. According to the source, the police have sent the letter informing that the website is closed due to inciting anti-government sentiment.

Sri Lanka: The Akon Controversy

  25 March 2010

A recent video of R&B singer-songwriter Akon featuring a group of scantly clad women dancing at a pool party in front of a Buddha statue caused much uproar in Sri Lanka. This became a hot topic in the Sri Lankan blogosphere.

Palestine: Anger At Opening Of Hurva Synagogue

Last week the rebuilt Hurva, or Ruin, Synagogue was opened in the old city of Jerusalem, amidst a wave of protests by Palestinians. The opening has been denounced by a number of Palestinian leaders as being part of a project to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is only 700 metres away. Mays Dagher reports on what Palestinian blogs are saying.

Guatemala: Transport Blockades as Protest

  23 March 2010

Luis Figueroa of Carpe Diem [es] writes about the blockades placed by public transport drivers in Guatemala City, who are protesting the lack of security and crime often targeted at them. However, Figueroa writes that all people have a right to protest, but not with blockades.

USA: In Census, Only Some Races Count

  23 March 2010

Census forms are being delivered to all U.S. households this month, but some citizens complain that the question on race does not offer enough answers to give an accurate picture of their ethnicity.

China: Singing farewell to Google

  23 March 2010

Google has formally closed its mainland Chinese search engine and rival Baidu will not need long to pick up the slack; nonetheless, former users of Google.cn search braved the cold air to show their support outside the company's Beijing headquarters, singing an anti-Internet censorship protest song while they were at it.

Haiti: Reconstruction for Haitians or with Haitians

  21 March 2010

Haitian Alterpresse republishes a letter [Creole] from Haitian social organisations which openly criticise the Donor's Conference which took place in the Dominican Republic on March 17th. According to them, it will not lead to a long-term development project nor include the population in the reconstruction scheme. Here is the French...

Russia: Activists Burns Effigy of Policeman

RuNet Echo  21 March 2010

Activists of the movement “Autonomous Action” burnt an effigy a policeman during the “political Maslenitsa“, indymedia reports (photos and footage available). The action was dedicated to Seva Ostapov, a young man violently beaten by policemen and later accused of assaulting them.

Russia: Putin pros and cons go cyber

RuNet Echo  21 March 2010

LJ user Anton Igorevich reports [RUS] that recent demonstrations against and for Russian Premier, Vladimir Putin, now have gone cyber, with websites against and in support of Putin, the latter being hacked, presumably by anti-Putinists.