Stories about Protest from December, 2011
Iran: “Law of Computer Crimes” and Parliamentary Elections
Iranian authorities warned web sites and blogs not to publish any content to encourage people to boycot or to protest the March parliamentary elections. The authorities published [fa] 25 categories of criminal content related to the next parliamentary elections. Read more about computer crimes in Iran.
Online Highlights from the Portuguese-Speaking World in 2011
2011 has been another year in which bloggers and activists from a number of Portuguese-speaking countries have come together to report, translate and promote blogs and citizen media from all over the world. This article selects the highlights in the coverage of Lusophone countries on Global Voices over the last year.
Chile: Neighbors and Netizens Unite to Save Concon Dunes
After 20 years of struggle against the construction of a real-estate project on a delicate and unique ecosystem called the Concon Dunes, neighbors and netizens have united their voices to continue the protest on the day the development company started closing in on this nature sanctuary.
Yemen: Should the US Grant Saleh a Visa?
A recent buzz among tweeps following Yemen news has been the issue of Honorary President Ali Abdullah Saleh's plans to travel to the US. Netizens warn against granting a visit visa to Saleh in this round up of reactions from Twitter.
Russia: AIDS Epidemic – “Shame Russia Shame”
International organizations are taking notice of Russia's AIDS epidemic and the hurdles the country faces in combating it. Recent international attention has been directed toward Russia's healthcare system, the stigma attached to those infected, and Russia's drug policies. Donna Welles reports.
Nepal:No Place for Xenophobia
Blogdai writes that Nepal should stop blaming foreigners for each and every woe that comes its way, since national unity cannot be based on xenophobia.
Indonesia: Activist Dies After Self-Immolation in Front of Palace
Indonesian bloggers have been discussing whether activist Sondang Hutagalung, who burned himself to death in front of the state palace, is a hero or a reckless man.
Egypt: A Letter from Maikel Nabil
No Military Trials for Civilians, a collective blog aimed at raising awareness about the military trial of civilians in Egypt, publishes a must read post by jailed Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil, who has been on hunger strike for more than 120 days.
India: A Letter to the Home Minister, Protesting Forced Eviction
William Gomes writes an open letter to the Union Home Minister, Mr.P.Chidambaram, protesting against the recent police action against campaigners who were holding a protest rally demanding the repeal of the controversial Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act, 2006.
Ethiopia: Swedish Journalists Handed 11-Year Prison Sentence
An Ethiopian court handed prison sentences of 11 years on Tuesday 27 December to Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson, two Swedish journalists accused of supporting terrorism in the country.
Russia: Social Network In-Between Security Services and Free Market
As social networks in Russia like Vkontakte play an ever increasing role in communication between post-election protesters, so too grows the interest of the security services to limit them. This conflict leads to a hard choice: whether Vkontakte should respond to security service requests, or allow its users uncontrolled protest activity.
Syria: What it deserves
Yazan, on KABOBfest, tells us what Syria deserves in this must read post. “This is not, and should not become, a sectarian war. The state is controlled by a family and their friends, which goes beyond sectarian lines, and those who are challenging or supporting them are not defined purely...
Philippines: Blog of Detained Cultural Worker
Jailhouse Blog is the online prison diary of Ericson Acosta, an artist and activist who was arrested by the Philippine Army while conducting human rights documentation in Samar province. He faces charges of illegal possession of explosives.
Cambodia: Petition to Withdraw Pardon of Convicted Pedophile
A petition is being circulated urging the Cambodian government to withdraw the pardon given to convicted pedophile Alexander Trofimov who had been serving an eight-year sentence for sex crimes against 17 under-age girls.
Morocco: The Tale of the February 20 Movement in 20 Videos
A look back at how the Moroccan pro-democracy movement "February 20" has used videos, as very powerful and viral social media tool to get its message across. Hisham Almiraat shares a selection of the 20 most popular and viral videos that marked the course of the February 20 Movement over the past 10 months.
Egypt: Reaping Legal Victories as the Revolution Continues
Egyptians are reaping victories in the halls of courtrooms. First, blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah has been released by a judge pending investigations, after spending 56 days behind bars yesterday. Then, a court ruled today that conducting virginity tests on women in the custody of the military is illegal.
Russia: The Opposition in St. Petersburg Fails to Reach Understanding
December 2011 post-election protest events consist of two elements: 'professional oppositioners' and concerned citizens. In Moscow those two elements managed to get together. In St. Petersburg, however, the meeting was let down by one of the parties. Citizens responded with confusion and disdain.
China: Rural Migrant Workers’ Protests
Archer Wang from Ministry of Tofu translated an online special feature report on Chinese migrant workers’ protests for collecting their due salary from employers.
Colombia: Vigil for the Release of Hostages
On December 23, Las Voces del Secuestro [es] (“Voices of Kidnappings”) called for a ‘great vigil for the release of hostages’ [es], which “has as its main point of concentration the Plaza de Bolivar in Bogota, which for 17 years has received people accompanying relatives of hostages.” Vigils were also...
Bangladesh: The Cost of Being Fooled
Kotha-Chhilo rues the fact that we are often made fools of, something that is likely to end up costing all of us dearly.
Syria: Regime Affiliates Try to Frame Muslim Brotherhood for Damascus Car Bombs
Syrian official media outlets yesterday published a statement allegedly issued by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood taking responsibility for the twin car-bomb attacks that caused heavy casualties in Damascus on Friday. Several irregularities and inconsistencies in the regime's story prompted a few Syrian netizens to investigate the matter further.
