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Argentina: New Foreign Exchange Controls · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

On 13 October, 2011, the Argentine government launched a series of regulations in order to control the sale of foreign currency. The measures aim to slow the rise in value of the North American dollar, of which the Argentine Central Bank [es] has had to reduce its reserves in order to avoid the continuing devaluation of the Argentine peso against the dollar.
The measures, agreed on by the Banco Central de la Rep. Argentina (Argentine Central Bank) [es] and the Ministry of Economy [es] are the first to be put in place since the elections in which incumbent President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, was re-elected with 54% of the vote.
The Negocioaz [es] blog sets out the new measures:
Image from Flickr user MoneyBlogNewz, reproduced under licence Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
A partir del inicio de la jornada cambiaria del lunes, el  gobierno argentino ha comenzado a implementar un ferreo control a la  compra de moneda extranjera, sobretodo para las compras de dólares  estadounidenses. Pese que en Argentina existe un fuerte control de  quienes cambian dinero, a partir de hoy este se ha fortalecido. Además  de solicitar documento de identidad, recibos de sueldo, constancia de  inscripción tributaria y copia de facturas a su nombre, ahora se  incorpora el hecho de que tiene que solicitarse permiso vía internet a  la Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos, la cual autoriza o no si  la persona puede comprar divisas extranjeras.
It goes on to say:
Hay que recordar que el Gobierno Argentino ha tomado una  serie de medidas para evitar la fuga de dólares, controlando su salida  colocando una serie de medidas restrictivas. El miércoles de la semana  pasada dispuso que las petroleras y mineras liquiden en el país las  divisas de sus exportaciones, dejando sin efecto medidas tributarias  específicas que permitían la libre disponibilidad del 70% de las divisas  obtenidas por exportaciones de derivados del petroleo y minerales.
What brought about this romance between the Argentine people and the dollar? The Spanish daily newspaper El País [es], published a report on October 31 in answer to this question:
Argentina crece a uno de los ritmos más rápidos de  Latinoamérica, pese a la crisis de la eurozona. La mayoría de su  población está conforme con su presidenta, Cristina Fernández de  Kirchner, que acaba de ser reelegida. Sin embargo, empresas, bancos y  ciudadanos de alto poder adquisitivo desconfían de la moneda argentina y  no dejan de comprar dólares, clásico refugio de ahorro en este país  acostumbrado a una historia de devaluaciones cada cierto tiempo.
It then says:
Los argentinos que compran dólares lo hacen por la  incertidumbre sobre un eventual impacto de la crisis de la eurozona,  pero sobre todo porque consideran que el peso se encuentra sobrevalorado  después de años de inflación superior al 20% anual en los que la  cotización de la moneda norteamericana apenas subió. El temor a una  devaluación del peso, que el Gobierno de Fernández ha descartado, se ha  acrecentado en los últimos dos meses, a partir de la depreciación del  real, antes sobrevalorado.
The blog Abel [es] comments on why the Argentine population always turns to the dollar as a savings currency:
Es una decisión racional porque el ahorro en dólares,  aunque se desvaloricen, permite que se pueda recurrir a él en cualquier  momento. Ahorrar en tierras, propiedades, aunque se valoricen, tiene dos  graves inconvenientes: no es para los pequeños; y no se puede convertir  en efectivo fácilmente. En acciones, plazos fijos… los argentinos  tenemos malas experiencias, que tardarán en borrarse de la memoria de  los individuos.
And how did the new exchange controls work from Monday, October 31? Prensa Hoy [es] comments on the problems with authorisation that arose with the System put in place between the AFIP and the Banks:
Este lunes se registraban numerosos inconvenientes a la  hora de comprar divisas, tras la implementación de nuevas medidas de  control por parte del Gobierno nacional y que obliga a la AFIP a cotejar  los datos del cliente con el organismo antes de llevar adelante la  operación.
Por error del sistema implementado, casi ninguna persona estaba  habilitada para comprar. Cuando los compradores se lanzaron sobre los  mostradores, [el] aplicativo que cruza los datos colapsó por la cantidad  de consultas simultáneas.
An error in the system resulted in almost no one being authorised to buy. When buyers came onto the money markets the application which exchanged data crashed due to the weight of simultaneous consultations.
However, after a few days the mechanism was functioning much better.  The blog La Generación Siguiente (Next Generation) [es] commented:
el mecanismo de compraventa de divisas se va aceitando,  lo que pudo verificarse en el bajo porcentaje de rechazos del sistema y  las operaciones concretadas por hasta 500 mil dólares en varias casas de  cambio y bancos de la city. Si bien continúa siendo elevado el número  de curiosos que visita la base de datos de la AFIP, se exhibió una  importante merma en las consultas. Según el ente recaudador, el  porcentaje de operaciones inválidas se redujo a un 1,6 por ciento,  mientras que para los bancos privados consultados el guarismo orilló el  20 por ciento.
The measure affected and will continue to affect many people whose ability to buy foreign exchange will be decided as a function of their income and expenditure. The well known television presenter Susana Giménez was one of those affected with the AFIP system declaring her to be “inconsistent” when she wanted to buy U.S. dollars. In the same La Generación Siguiente blog Santiago Llamas [es] related what happened to the Argentinian diva:
Susana Giménez, quien anteriormente estuvo implicada en  la compra de autos de lujo con franquicia para discapacitados  (escondidos bajo fardos de alfalfa en su estancia en Pilar) y en la  estafa a la Fundación “Felices los Niños”, fue rechazada por  “inconsistente”. La estrella tiene declarado ante la AFIP un ingreso  anual de 50.000 pesos –unos 3850 pesos mensuales, calculando los dos  medio aguinaldos–. A pesar de ello, en lo que va del año ya adquirió un  volumen de divisas equivalente a once millones de pesos (unos 2.600.000  dólares, al tipo de cambio promedio).
While the controls cover all currencies, no comment has been made about the Yen, Euro, Real or other currencies that trade on the foreign exchange markets. For the time being, the dollar remains stable as do the Argentinian Central Bank's reserves, but the dilema for Argentines of whether to invest or buy dollars has not gone away, something which is reflected in Germán Rafael Pirán's post on his blog Argentina Salvajizada (Savaged Argentina) [es]:
El dilema de todo gobierno populista no se si existe,  pero el de sus victimas, los habitantes es en Argentina el mismo:  invertir o fugar capitales al exterior, buscando seguridad, como las  golondrinas que viajan en busca de calor y seguridad porque el frio les  parece disgustar.

author: Laura Schneider


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Barbados: Thoughts on “Un-Hating”  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Skip to Malou* is taken with the new Benetton ad campaign, saying: “Love it or hate it, I'm blogging about this…because I see it as a creative way to bring across some strong, thought provoking messages…poking at very sensitive, serious issues in a light hearted way.”

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Brazil: Toxic Documentary on the Amazon · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Brazilian journalist Felipe Milanez (@felipedjeguaka) published [pt, en] a documentary about the Amazon in the series Toxic – “the various ways in which we detonate our planet” – of the Vice website. The documentary features the environmental activist Zé Claudio Ribeiro da Silva who was killed in May 2011.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Cameroon: 5th International Festival of Fulani Arts and Tradition · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

The Bilitol fulfude association is organizing the 5th international festival of Fulani arts and tradition [fr] from December 8th to December 11th 2011. The festival will take place at Yagoua, a region of the far east Cameroon. The program has scheduled the following events: “educational discussions, […] traditional games, traditional equestrian performances, cooking competitions, poetry, tales, Miss Fula pageant, a fashion show, an evening with the artists, story tellers, etc…”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Cameroon: A Cameroonian Artist in London · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Commenting on an exhibition organized by Illy, an Italian coffee maker in London, bonaberi.com blog reports that [fr] : “The Cameroonian Alioum Moussa takes part in the exhibition as he was requested to design one of the new boxes of Illy [coffee]. “


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Cape Verde: Delicious Blogging on Local Gastronomy · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Would you like to try the Cape Verdean famous dish, cachupa? Odair Varela explains the process of preparation in a photopost [pt]. For more on gastronomy from Cape Verde, visit the blog CV Na Pontu [pt].

author: Sara Moreira


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China: Suicide Civil Servants in Depression or ‘Being Depressed’? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

It seems that more and more Chinese people are suffering from various kinds of psychological illnesses according to the Chinese authorities’ investigations. It is well-known that ordinary people who petition against injustice and corruption in the country have been diagnosed as having mental illnesses such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Recently, a similar diagnosis, this time depression, has been given to civil servants and government officials who have committed suicide.
In most of the suicide cases, the conclusion of depression is drawn quickly within a day or two without much explanation. Being skeptical of the police investigation, Chinese netizens use a passive voice, “being depressed”, to highlight the suspected covering up of corruption involved.
A recent “being depressed” case is the suicide of the deputy police officer of the criminal investigation team in Zhejiang on November 12, 2011. In less than three days, at 14:55 pm on November 15, the Chinese Police Web posted an excerpt [zh] of an investigation report at its Weibo account:
中国警察网:【浙江一刑侦副大队长跳楼身亡 患抑郁症是工作狂】警方透露，11月12日上午11时30分许，浙江省嵊州市公安局指挥中心接到群众报警称，嵊州市万都豪庭小高楼有人跳楼。随后，跳楼者被送到医院，抢救无效死亡。这个跳楼者就是嵊州市公安局刑侦大队副大队长徐栋。http://t.cn/S2zNMV
Below is the discussion following the news thread:
唐僧包二奶00：良心没有泯灭的办案警察，难免有点抑郁症的。
王惜梧：在中国做警察真痛苦！！坏人不能尽抓，好人难免“抓错”，良心存久了不肯丢不小心就抑郁了！这位不知道是真抑郁还是假抑郁哦！
飞天媚娘：跳楼的都是抑郁症，犯事的全为临时工。
Another case happened on November 10 at 7 pm; the Deputy Director of County Level Business Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture Lu Yongjun threw himself out of the office window. At 10 am on the next morning, an internal meeting within the Ministry of Agriculture concluded that Lu suffered from depression and the Ministry's leaders demanded that there should be no further discussion about the case.
Lu's colleagues found the case suspicious as he was already 57 and about to retire soon. His body was cremated on November 14. Under the news headline in Sina Weibo [zh], many netizens questioned the investigation:
好咪咪：好像所有死去的这类官员都得了抑郁症，都是自杀。怎么这么巧啊，象约好了似的。
MOMAX：牺牲他一个，保住一窝人！不死也要死，死了就能保护很多人，就能让家人日子好过，否则铁定弄死他！还要家破人亡
游虾甲V5：国家机密不方便透露。
央企鞍钢总医院张国贤:天朝官员爱跳楼，爱抑郁，爱不舒服死。草民更爱自焚，上吊和躲猫猫！有能耐别急着抢尸火化！
饶春亮：完了，人一死，账都不好意思查了。。。
People's skepticism towards the suicide investigations of government officials and civil servants has been mounting since the suspicious death of an anti-corruption officer Xie Yexin in Hebei province back in August 2011. According to the autopsy report, Xie was stabbed 11 times in the chest, neck, abdomen and both wrists, and  died from the rupture of a major vein near the heart. The police concluded that the case was a suicide but Xie's family did not accept the investigation. More from WSJ.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Colombia: Students Suspend Strike in Public Universities     · Global Voices
Lully

Starting November 17, 2011 students from public universities [es] are gradually returning to class, after the strike that had started last October 11, 2011. This decision was announced on November 16 by the National Student Board (MANE) [es] -and published in their blog- in response to the government fulfilling its commitment to remove the project to reform higher education Law 30 from congress.

author: Lully


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Cuba: Filmic Propaganda · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

babalu notes that “ScreenJunkies.com has chosen the Castro propaganda classic ‘I am Cuba’ as one of the top five blatantly lying propaganda films of all time.”


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Cuba: The Freedom of Twitter  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Mariela Castro, the daughter of Cuban dictator Raul Castro, opened a Twitter account recently to freely share her thoughts 140 characters at a time”: babalu says that the micro-blogging service has made “Mariela [get] a taste of freedom — not her own freedom, but the freedom of other Cubans to express themselves freely and respond to her inanities.”


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Cuba: Walking the Streets  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y blogs about Tony, a street vendor who “has passed through all the stages of the emerging private sector in Cuba” and wonders, even in this period of entrepreneurial “revival”, “why [it] has to be plagued with so many absurdities, so many limitations.”


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Europe: A Song Criticizing Schengen Visa Procedure · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At BlogActiv.eu, Kader Sevinc writes about “a creative way of criticizing the Schengen visa procedure” – Schengen Macht Frei, a song by Sarp Yeletaysi/Sarpinto, who writes this on SoundCloud: “[…] This song is the product of many visits to embassies of European countries to obtain a visa which is a painful, costly, time-consuming and humiliating process. […] This is my attempt to raise awareness about the Schengen Problem which I believe is a violation of basic human rights […].”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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France: A tribute to Author Hubert Nyssen · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

French writer and publisher Hubert Nyssen [fr], who founded the publishing house Actes Sud, died on Nov. 12. 2011. Among the many tributes to this lover of foreign litteratures and eulogist of translation as a form of art, one can find Sabrina's post that retraces [fr] his biography, an unabridged version of the post she wrote in 2005.

author: Suzanne Lehn


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India: A Murder Convict’s Parole Stirs Up Controversy · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

On November 16, 2011, the Delhi High Court granted a 5-day parole to Mr. Manu Sharma – currently serving life imprisonment for the murder of Jessica Lal – so that he could attend the wedding of his younger brother. According to the Indian Parole Laws, this is technically a valid ground for seeking parole. However, the Court's decision to grant parole in this case, has led to public outrage, reflected by the heated discussions online, among netizens.
People were quick to recall that Sharma, son of a wealthy and influential former Minister, had already violated parole once before. In 2009, Sharma had been granted a 30-day parole, apparently to visit his ailing mother and perform the last rites of his grandmother. Soon however, the basis of his parole was proved to be unfounded as his grandmother had passed away in 2008 and his ‘ailing’ mother was seen at a media briefing, promoting a ladies’ cricket tournament in Chandigarh. Sharma himself was caught on camera, partying away in a discotheque in Delhi.
Embarrassed over the revelation and ensuing media glare, the government had to order an inquiry and soon Sharma was seen returning to jail, before the expiry of his parole term.
This time, when Sharma's parole application came up for hearing, the judge apparently pointed out this case of earlier violation. However, Manu Sharma's legal counsel had argued that according to the guidelines for granting parole, only the last  one year's conduct should be taken into consideration. The Delhi Police too, apparently withdrew their initial objection to the parole and submitted before the Court that they had “no objections” to the parole if Sharma provided an undertaking that he would not leave Ambala and Karnal – the venues of his brother's wedding.
Finally, Manu Sharma was granted parole under the conditions that a) he will not leave Ambala and Karnal b) he will not visit nightclubs and/or discotheques and c) he will furnish a personal bond of Rs. 50,000.
Blogger Joseph Thomas wrote on his blog:
I’m appalled by the parole conditions of Manu Sharma, the killer of Jessica Lal.  The parole conditions say that Sharma is not allowed to go to any night  clubs or discotheques. Why only night clubs and discotheques? Is it  because the murder of Jessica Lal had happened in a night club and going  to a similar place would make him repeat the crime (earlier he had been  to a night club during the parole)? Or in other words, is it to be  understood that it is the place – not the man, his criminal mindset and  his influential family – that lead to commit the murder?
Twitter has been abuzz with reactions – so much so, that #ManuSharma was soon a trending topic. The reactions ranged from questioning the decision to sarcasm to outright anger.
@amreekandesi: Manu Sharma gets parole to attend brother's wedding. For him life is all about free jail food between family functions.
@PritishNandy: Manu Sharma on parole! Next, we will have Ajmal Kasab on parole, dancing at his brother's wedding in Faridkot.
@subhra2jyoti: Manu Sharma being given 5 days parole to attend some function. what bullshit ?? Has our judiciary system completely gone insane..
@sanyakapil: Its funny that #ManuSharma is being given a parole, more like few days off of jail time to attend his bro's wedding. Privileged criminal
@kunalkohli: Can there be a more ridiculous headline than ‘Manu Sharma get parole, but barred from clubbing'!
@ays7: How #ManuSharma got a parole despite severe parole violation last time is beyond my comprehension. It just defies all logic.
@lindsaypereira: The nicest thing about being arrested in India is it doesn't impinge on one's right to party. #ManuSharma
@Alfred_Prufrock: The quality of mercy is not strained. It's f-ing filtered through wads of money. #ManuSharma
@shammybaweja: Parole guidelines are clear- you get again only if you dont violate it the 1st time. The spoilt Manu Sharma has d right political godfathers
@namitabhandare: @shammybaweja – I'm all for a liberalised prison system, but same rules for all. Not spoilt brats like #ManuSharma abusing privilege.
@madmanweb: I am so glad we have a compassionate legal system in this country that allows murderers to take days off for family weddings. #ManuSharma
@manisharana: All of #manusharma's relatives are planning to get married one after the other every month. Those married, should divorce and then remarry!
@amanpaggarwal:  News on the street – #ManuSharma seeking marriage invitations !!! I believe the going rate is Rs 1lakh per invite.
@RangitaNandy: So #ManuSharma is out on parole, with a court order to stay away from nightclubs. Incredible, idiotic India.
Some Tweeters however, are asking what the noise is all about, since a convict has the right to apply for and be granted parole under Indian Laws. There were some questions too – seeking clarification regarding the same.
@bhairavigoswami: I think a person on parole is legally allowed to go out fr family reasons. any lawyers here who cn clarify #ManuSharma
@SUYASH30: why all dis fuss over parole of manu sharma ?? a criminal is a criminal nd he has a right fr parole , Why 2 differentiate betn criminals ??
However, others were quick to point out that other convicts have not been so lucky with their parole applications.
@namitabhandare: Does anyone have the stats of how many convicted murderers have got parole to attend weddings? #ManuSharma
@shammybaweja:  @namitabhandare I can tell you – of 372 who applied for parole, as many as 300 are still waiting. Manu got his in flat 20 days in 2009
Questions have been raised on the role of the Delhi police too, as to why they did not oppose the parole.
@gauravcsawant: #ManuSharma told not to go to night clubs/pubs during 5 day parole. Why did DelhiPolice suddenly not oppose parole?
Other Twitter users however, feel that there is more to the story and that the blame should not be heaped at the Police Department's door:
@katie_abraham: Why blame the Police always? #DelhiPolice opposed #ManuSharma's Parole then WHY?
It appears that in normal cases, the governement takes at least three to six months to decide on a parole application. However, in Sharma's case the application was cleared within 20 days, causing eyebrows to be raised, even within the judiciary.

author: Aparna Ray


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Jamaica: Lessons from “Occupy” Protests  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pray, laugh, love! says that there are valuable business lessons to be learned from the the Occupy Wall Street protests: “Ultimately…the protestors would’ve been able to call public attention to their plight and send a very strong message to corporations that enough is enough. Importantly, it shows what can happen when the masses are truly united. We hope corporations are taking note.”


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Korea: Benetton’s New Ad Campaign Features World Leaders Kissing · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Italian clothing giant Benetton is getting heat for its ad images of world leaders locking lips with their rivals or enemies, such as an image of President Obama kissing his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao. Robert from the Marmot's Hole blog  commented on a photo-shopped image of South Korean President smooching North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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New Caledonia: Controversy around the 1988 Ouvéa Hostage Taking Movie · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

French filmmaker Mathieu Kassovitz's movie “L'ordre et la  morale” (“Order and morality”), that recounts the tragic 1988 hostage taking at the Ouvéa cave, is not welcome in New Caledonia. The blog Ecran Noir (‘Black Screen’) describes the local controversy around the film's release, here and here [fr]. After New Caledonia's one and only theater declined, the movie will finally be shown in the Tjibaou Cultural Center [fr] in the capital Nouméa, on Déc. 12.


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Palestine: Freedom Riders Challenge Israeli Segregation · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

On November 15, a group of Palestinian activists were arrested while travelling on a bus carrying Israeli settlers. The activists called themselves the “Freedom Riders”, after the American civil rights campaigners of 1961.
Their aim was to demonstrate that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank has led to segregation. Because settler buses go to areas that most Palestinians cannot enter, Palestinians are effectively prevented from using them.
However, the activists made clear that their goal was not equal rights with Israeli settlers:
In undertaking this action Palestinians do not seek the desegregation of settler buses, as the presence of these colonizers and the infrastructure that serves them is illegal and must be dismantled. As part of their struggle for freedom, justice and dignity, Palestinians demand the ability to be able to travel freely on their own roads, on their own land, including the right to travel to Jerusalem.
"Rosa Parks is ALIVE! Palestinians boarding settler-only bus to Jerusalem." Image by @CarlosLatuff
Holly is a British volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, and was there to see what happened:
Yesterday I witnessed six Palestinian activists demand freedom, justice and dignity as they defied Israel’s apartheid policies when the group successfully boarded settler-only buses and attempted to enter East Jerusalem, where they were eventually brutally dragged off and arrested by the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF). At the press conference and in the lead up to the event, the activists described how they had taken inspiration from the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the heroic actions of Rosa Parks. Drawing on the struggles of African Americans who fought against segregation and inequality in the United States, and South Africans who battled against apartheid, the Palestinian Freedom Riders aimed to draw the world’s attention to the similarity of the struggle faced by the Palestinian people on a daily basis.
She explained:
Unlike in the American South of the 60s, you will not see signs around the settlements or at the checkpoints stating “No Palestinians here” – Israel manages its PR machine far too well for such overtly racist statements to be witnessed by the other “democratic” countries which fund its existence. Similarly, Palestinians are technically allowed to ride “settler-only” buses and drive on “settler-only” roads, something repeated by the Israeli media and the settlers who came off the buses yesterday. But the segregation, inequality and the denial of Palestinian’s rights to enter their own land is implemented in a far more covert way by Israel. Whilst Palestinians may be able to travel on the buses and roads, these buses lead either into the internationally recognised illegal settlements, or into East Jerusalem where Palestinians are forbidden to enter. East Jerusalem is the intended capital of a future Palestinian state, yet Israel has denied the majority of Palestinians access to the city without a permit, which are almost impossible to obtain. As a result, Israel has been able to continually expand the settlements in East Jerusalem, particularly in the highly contentious area of Sheikh Jarrah, and this has lead to the annexing of Palestinian populated areas in the city so that it is surrounded by Israeli settlements, systematically destroying the possibility of having a Palestinian controlled capital. As I hope is becoming evident, the Palestinian Freedom Riders movement is not simply about the segregation of buses, the problem here is much larger. Palestinians face an apparatus of military control over Palestinians that needs to be dismantled, along with the settlements themselves.
Haitham Al Katib posted the following video on YouTube:
Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh, one of the Freedom Riders, wrote on his blog about his experience:
I was honored to be a freedom rider and it was team effort at its best (those who rode and the many who worked behind the scenes).  Two other Palestinians were also arrested with us who were there as a reporters/observers not participants. […] While released, we are still charged with “illegal entry to Jerusalem” and with “obstructing police business” pending potential trial.
He described his treatment by one Israeli soldier after being arrested:
One young Ashkenazi soldier was very arrogant and even called me “Professor Teez” (Teez is arabic for “ass”). We all (freedom riders) laughed it off and I told him that I did not insult him and that when someone insults me they demean themselves first.
Back to Holly, who concluded her post by saying:
The Freedom Riders are demanding that their very basic human rights are upheld in accordance with international law, and to demonstrate that they will continue to engage non-violently to win the freedom, justice and dignity for which the Palestinian people have struggled for so long.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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United States: Unexpected Eviction of Occupy Wall Street Protest · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.
On the morning of November 15, 2011, New Yorkers woke up to news that Occupy Wall Street protesters had been evicted from Zuccotti Park without prior notice by police forces, who, under orders from Mayor Bloomberg, laid waste to everything along their path from sleeping bags to food stocks and the tents where protesters slept.
The eviction also resulted in close to 140 arrests and a judicial order that prohibits Occupy Wall Street members from taking up the park again, a measure that city employees have dedicated to cleaning the area.
According to the Bloomberg administration, the eviction plans were carried out with extreme caution following unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with the movement. According to local reports, the mayor's administration decided to evacuate the park after finding irregularities in security measures, along with possible sanitary issues.
Currently many wonder about the future of the movement now that it has been deprived of a camping ground, but protesters promise to be stronger than ever. There are lots of planned activities for the global protest, set to occur today November 17.
This image, taken on November 15 at approximately 9:15 a.m., shows the complete eviction that police forces pushed through in Zuccotti Park hours before.  Photo by David Shankbone on Flickr (CC-BY NC 2.0)
As usual, various opinions are circulating in the blogosphere and on social networks.  James Dowie, from the PostPartisan blog, affirms that Bloomberg's ordered eviction is deplorable:
All this while, as Matt Taibbi put it last week, “in the skyscrapers above the protests, anything goes.” Nobody arrested the bankers for pushing fraudulent loans and subprime mortgage investments, or the ratings agencies and government regulators that neglected their duties and helped Wall Street crash the global economy. But putting tents in a public park? Time to bring out the batons and pepper spray.
Poster for the November 17 protest placed on Wall Street.  Taken from occupywallstreet.org. To be freely distributed.
Rebelión [es] blog states that protests like Occupy never sit well with the elite:
Este asunto de invadir calles y plazas con pretextos tan exóticos como exigir empleos, mejor educación, servicios de salud o un poco de escrúpulos en el manejo de las finanzas es algo que a la “gente de bien” nunca le ha parecido bien.
On Twitter, George Zornick (@gzornick) reproaches the fact that the eviction happened so early in the morning:
NYC authorities clearly feel #OWS eviction is just and reasonable. That's why they are doing it at 2am and barring all press.
Some Latino Twitter users, like Al-Dabi Olvera (@Aldabi) [es], declared their support for Occupy Wall Street:
Desalojan a los compañeros de @OccupyWallSt , 70 detenidos http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2011/11/15/8181119-desaloja-policia-a-indignados-de-occupy-wall-street @OccupyBMV @MxTomaLaCalle
The Occupy Wall Street account (@OccupyWallStNYC) suggests that they have not let their guard down just yet:
Look at how far we've come. And we're just getting started… #ows #winning
Renowned New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) questions Bloomberg's behavior:
Bloomberg has generally been a very impressive mayor over the years, but lately his #OWS approach is hamhanded.
Luke Adams (@luketadams) sarcastically compares Occupy Wall Street to the Tea Party:
Hey #occupy movement, I know how you can be left alone by the cops. Hang a tea bag from your hat. Then they'll let you do anything. #ows
Finally, Ted Alexandro (@tedalexandro) expresses his contempt before the lack of free press:
No matter how you feel about #OWS, I hope the absolute disregard for freedom of the press during tonight's raid on the park gives you pause.
This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.

author: Robert Valencia


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Australia: Obama Charm Offensive Not Everyone’s Cup Of Tea · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Even before Airforce One had landed in Australia on Wednesday 16 November 2011, President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Julia Gillard were online targets.
In his post John Passant threw a left hook at both Obama and the local Greens Party:
The Greens support war criminal Barack Obama
Instead of welcoming mass murderer Obama, the Greens, as the biggest non-mainstream party, should be organising demonstrations against the war criminal.
On the right side of the political stage, the little known Australian TEA Party announced a rally of their own:
This is our big chance to impact the extreme left elites that are crippling our country and indeed the world.
…Julia Gillard and Barak Obama. These two deeply cynical Politicians are seeking to deflect disastrous domestic policies and unpopularity in their respective countries with a carefully choreographed  – ‘photo op ‘ – propaganda event.
At Twitter Erin Riley warned against anti-US criticism:
@erinrileyau
And now for two days of reflexive, ill-informed anti-Americanism #obama #ObamaOz 16 Nov
Seamus’ message seemed to fit this category:
@deweyite
Good to see #obama taking the time to visit his constituents in the 51st state #auspol 16 Nov
Meanwhile the Northern Territory Insurance Office issued the President a free crocodile $A 50,000 insurance policy for his visit to Darwin on Thursday.
Obama Crocodile Insurance. Image courtesy TIO.
PR Warrior saw some merit in this gimmicky self-promotion:
In this age of digitised communications and ‘authentic conversations with your community of followers’, it's refreshing to see there is still room for a good old-fashioned media publicity stunt.
A different, far more serious and potentially more deadly policy was the centrepiece of the visit. Your Democracy reposted an Op-Ed by Strategic Studies heavyweight Hugh White questioning plans to beef up America’s military presence in Australia. He concluded that:
Australia should tell Obama we take a different view on China.
A new Asia could evolve in which China exercises more power and influence than it has before, but does not dominate, and in which America no longer exercises primacy, but still plays a large and vital role. In short, an Asia in which the US and China share power.
This should be Australia's vision of Asia's future. We do not want to live under Chinse domination, but nor do we want to be squeezed by US-China rivalry. That is why, having given Obama a respectful hearing, we should explain why we take a different view. That is what good allies do.
Perhaps speech analyst and coach Dean Frenkel had in mind the Australian connection to the film The King’s Speech. Public speaking 101: A lesson in leadership from Obama was vocal advice for Oz politicians:
This is an opportunity for our elected representatives to listen to the outstanding professional communicator of our generation, the finest American political speaker since Martin Luther King. First and foremost, Mr Obama should trigger awakenings about the importance of communication skills to politicians. After listening to him, Australian politicians should clear their eyes, look into mirror, appraise their own abilities, commit to raising their standards and taking away some of Obama's qualities by osmosis.
Oz news aggregator, The Wall, had the top 100 tweets that it updated during the 27 hour charm offensive, plus a number of stories.
Twitter hashtags went viral, with #Aubama topping the trends and #POTUSinOz competing for the most obscure tag.
Fawning would be a fair description of many of the tweets, mixed with the usual fixation on his plane and his car. Barack certainly charmed much of the local audience. For the other view see the Aus TEA Party’s OBAMA /GILLARD … Makes Me Sick! or Gillard is worse than Obama ???
Barb is also not a fan, tweeting this link to Rupert Murdoch’s online new.com.au. The newspaper version has the less tacky title ‘Touching times for Julia Gillard and US President Barack Obama’:
@BabsNation
The Audacity of Grope: news.com.au/national/touch… Sums up this fawning, #Obama lovefest perfectly #Aubama #tcot #Auspol 17 Nov
On her blog Everyone is a Moon, Bron had her own ideas on this piece of ‘satire’ in THE AUDACITY OF TRIPE :
On a Presidential visit, there’s always plenty of news to, y’know, report. The US-Australia alliance. Security in the Pacific-Asia region. The expansion of US military presence in Australia. The implications of all this for China and India. Instead, we get this tedious, demeaning shit that I probably should come to accept from News Ltd by now, anyway.
Nick Condon was taken with the President’s speech to the Federal Parliament:
@nickcondon
Not gonna lie…. Obama is an incredible speaker. Amazing speech and only good things for Australia. #aubama 17 Nov
Two other hot topics fired some netizens: Julia Gillard’s intention to sell uranium to India and climate change action but there isn't room to cover those here.
As Airforce One left Darwin, the US was leading the rest of the world at the end of the first day of the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne golf course. We might wonder how long America will be the unrivalled world leader. (Incidentally, neither Obama, nor this year’s Honorary Chair, Julia Gillard, was scheduled to visit the Cup.)
P.S. President Obama didn't need his free croc insurance this time but it could come in handy when he retires or is retired.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Barbados, St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Domestic Violence  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground links to an article about the high rate of domestic violence in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and suggests that “often times we discuss the issue of domestic abuse through a myopic lens.”


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Brazil: Real State Speculation Threatens Sacred Ground  · Global Voices
Luis Henrique

Sagrada Terra Especulada (Sacred Speculated Ground), a Brazilian collective that advocates for indigenous land rights, is promoting a documentary [pt] and a petition [pt] in defense of the Pajé Sanctuary, close to Brasilia´s Pilot Plan. Real estate speculation [pt] threatens this area of savannah with the construction of a so-called “first eco-neighborhood in Brazil”.

author: Luis Henrique


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Bulgaria: Protest Against Shale Gas Extraction · Global Voices
Ruslan Trad

The Nov. 16 protest against Chevron's extraction of shale gas in northeast Bulgaria had been organized through Facebook event. The poster on this photo reads: “Why did you sign, Boyko [PM Borisov's first name] – out of stubbornness?” Protesters chanted slogans against the government, calling them “traitors” because of the signed agreement for extraction of shale gas.

author: Ruslan Trad


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China: Nanjing sanitation workers on strike · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

On November 16th, Nanjing sanitation workers went on strike and dumped huge piles of garbage in the street to protest their poor treatment and unsatisfactory pay. More from Shanghaiist.


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China: Reactions to the Police’s Clearing Out of Wall Street Protesters · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK has translated some online discussion about the clearing out of Wall Street protest by the New York Police force.


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China’s Real Estate Bubbles · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sascha from Chengdu Living has written down some frontline observations of the real estate bubble in China.


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Crisis Camp Italy: Using Web 2.0 to Manage Emergencies · Global Voices
Antonella Sinopoli

After Paris [fr] – Bologna. Crisis Camp [it] is now landing in Italy, as part of a European network which has developed over the last few months, and whose main goal is to “engage with new technologies which can be be of use in the management of emergency situations and crises”.
These collaborative technologies are being made possible by the emergence and refinement of Web 2.0 applications which are readily accessed and used.
The philosophy (on the level of ideas and in practice) that these applications are based on is crowdsourcing, that is to say, active and direct participation in the community. But what is a Crisis Camp? It designates an informal conference, in this case a BarCamp specialising in online resources designed to help manage a wide range of crises, from the states of emergencies caused by natural disasters to conflicts and political and social revolutions.
Crisis Camp Italy
Mapping, geolocalization, citizen journalism, data management: these are just some of the topics which will be discussed in Bologna [it] on the 19 November, 2011. The provisional programme can be found here [it]. Everyone is welcome to propose topics for discussion by filling out an online application form [it].
Following the success of collaborative platforms like Ushahidi and of various other Web 2.0 applications, harnessing social media and directly involving citizens have become essential means of dealing with increasingly unsettling emergencies, as demonstrated by initiatives established in response to the recent floods in Thailand, and which is also evidenced by the International development of the Crisis Commons network.
We asked Elena Rapisardi [it], a web content strategist and an active promoter  of the event, a few questions in order to better focus the meeting in Bologna.
Global Voices (GV): Why was Crisis Camp established, what are its aims and what are its plans for the future?
Elena Rapisardi (ER): Crisis Camp Italy aims to be a coming together of people who deal with crises, emergencies and risk, and who see in Web 2.0, an approach and tools which are useful in managing and, above all else, in preventing crises. The idea is to establish a network. A network of people with shared objectives and principles, like collaboration and resilience. Crises, emergencies and risks can only be prevented, managed and overcome by the development of a resilient and collaborative community which is capable of proactively involving all relevant parties, from the scientific community to citizens, as well as institutions, the media and experts. For this reason I think that any Crisis Camp held in Italy, as was the case in Paris and elsewhere in the world, must also consider how to begin establishing links with the existing response systems. A difficult challenge as it requires patient work and presupposes a willingness, on both sides, to understand the requirements and find shared tools for collaboration.
GV: Even in Italy, is there a need, as demonstrated by the the recent floods in Liguria, for more efficient and on hand tools, with which to respond to emergencies?And are people really ready to organise themselves over the Internet?
ER: On the technological side, many useful applications exist in Italy as well.  But I think that innovations in the field of emergency and crisis management require a cultural change, above all else, so that technology can play its part but does not become an end in of itself and does not lead to competitiveness.  Free and open technology exists, there are large numbers of open source projects. It is, perhaps, necessary to take into account standards, open data  and everyday Internet usage “practices”, and even education, as Internet access does not automatically imply Internet literacy.  The point is, however, that we need to move from the emotional engagement that makes us send a photo to our friends and “followers”, in order to share an emotional response, to a conscious and proactive participation. It is not an easy change to make but meetings like the Crisis Camps can unite strengths, experiences and energy and help make the change.  I think that initiatives like the use of crowdmapping to collect visual evidence of the recent floods in Liguria, organised by the Genoa and Livorno offices of “La Reppublica”, in collaboration with the Department of Earth Sciences in the University of Turin and NatRisk,  are a first step towards collaborations between the scientific community and the media. There are new methods of making news and new rules to be learned. I do not believe in instant solutions, the Internet is not a question of “just click this”, the Internet is much more than a simple “click”.
GV: On a more global level, applications like Ushahidi seem to be in wide use, but are these applications really helpful or do they end up creating rumours, unreliability and information overload?
ER: The reliability of information gleaned from social media or from initiatives such as crowdmapping, is a problem which is keenly felt by all VTCs [Volunteers Technical Communities] and there are projects in place to define and establish the trustworthiness of contributors. Personally I think that we have to think in terms of preparedness, of “entering” the Internet and establishing a reputation and position. There is no ignoring the social and communicative phenomenon that is social media. It is impossible to exclude or control it. People will keep tweeting and posting on Facebook. That's why we have to enter the stream and “collaborate” to create shared spaces, become a trusted and recognised voice. Two interesting examples are INGV and the Consorzio Lamma Toscana [it], both of whom are constantly present on Twitter and use it as their principal means of communication. Events must be followed and contributions made while they are in progress. Certainly it is not an easy task, as communication is a responsibility and the new media demands speed and a “just in time” mentality that the established information management processes of some organisations cannot cope with, not out of malice, or at least I hope not, but because they lack the capabilities to adequately manage “post-Gutenburg revolution” information, that is to say, information which is quick, on time and pervasive.
For updates on Crisis Camp Italy and related developments, you can visit the official website [it] and follow the hashtag #crisiscampit on Twitter.

author: Antonella Sinopoli


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Cuba: Censorship in Film Festival  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y says that the International Festival of the New Latin American Cinema, which takes place in Cuba next month, “has been losing ground in the cultural life of Havana”, partly because of censorship.


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Cuba: No Respect for Parents · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The love of the mother for her child is unconditional — according to Cubans — as are the child’s feeling toward its mother”, says Regina Cano, but notes that “in more than an insignificant percentage of instances nowadays, this image is broken and the pieces of the picture go flying.”


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Egypt: The Mini-States Of Cairo · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

So you thought Cairo was a city? Actually it's a series of mini-states that operate independently of each other. In this post, blogger Karim Shafei explains how Cairo really works.
Karim writes:
Cairo Map. Image by Flickr user rien @ ISTANBUL & ABROAD (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
He continues:
حدثت بعض المحاولات على مدار السنين من بعض الدويلات للإنفصال عن القاهرة.. منها محاولة إستقلال إمبابة وإقامة إمارة إسلامية فى التسعينيات من القرن الماضى والإنفصال اليومى لدويلة المهندسين عن بقية القاهرة بين الساعة الواحدة ظهراً والثانية عشر فجراً حيث لا يمكن الدخول أو الخروج من المهندسين فى هذه الفترة إلا على دراجة بخارية للديليفرى..
تسمح الدويلات القاهرية بحرية التنقل بينها ونقل البضائع بل والتزاوج بينها.. وبالرغم من سماح القانون بالتزاوج ما بين الدويلات إلا أن العديد من العائلات ترفض زواج أولادها من سكان الدويلات الآخرى لأسباب إما إقتصادية أو إجتماعية.. ولكن فى أغلب الأحيان يكون السبب الرئيسى هو المرور
There have been some attempts over the years by some of the mini-states to secede from Cairo. Amongst them was an attempt by Imbaba in the nineties of the last century to become independent and establish an Islamic emirate, as well as the daily secession of the mini-state of Mohandiseen from the rest of Cairo between one o'clock in the afternoon and midnight, when you cannot enter or exit it except if on a delivery motorcycle.
Cairo’s mini-states allow freedom of movement and transport of goods between each other, and even intermarriage. However, in spite of the law allowing marriage between mini-states, many families don’t let their children marry the residents of other mini-states, for economic or social reasons. But in most cases the principal reason is traffic.
Cairo Traffic. Image by Flickr user vagabondblogger (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Karim concludes:


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France: A Rally in Support of Democracy in Ukraine · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Maidan.org.ua published Regina Maryanovska's photos [uk] from the Nov. 13 rally in defense of democracy in Ukraine, which took place at Le Parvis des Libertés et des Droits de l’Homme/Trocadéro (the Square of Human Rights) in Paris. Maryanovska, a Paris-based documentary director from Odesa, Ukraine, noted that members of the Ukrainian Diaspora in France as well as locals had attended the event, and that a women's marathon in support of the jailed ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko and democracy was being planned for Dec. 12.


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Gabon’s UNESCO Bailout: International Solidarity at What Price? · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Ali Bongo, President of Gabon, has pledged US$2 million to UNESCO [fr]. Bongo made the offer in response to the announcement by the UN agency of an multi-donor emergency fund at the closing of its November 10 General Conference. The fund is designed to help compensate for the US$65 million shortfall left by the withdrawal of funding to UNESCO by the United States and Israel in protest at the granting of membership to Palestine.
This gesture from Gabon could be viewed as an act of solidarity with the UN agency, but activists in this oil-rich Central African nation are urging the public to look beyond the announcement.
Open letter to Irina Bokova
Image of a primary school in Mefoupe, Woleu Ntem, Northern Gabon. Creative Commons, jp-rougou.blogspot.com
In an open letter to Irina Bokova, the Director General of the UNESCO, Ca suffit comme ça (Enough is Enough) [fr], Gabon's largest civil society organisation, explained why Gabon's donation should not be accepted [fr] :
En temps normal, une telle contribution à l’effort scientifique et culturel, ne poserait aucun problème mais, au regard de la paupérisation galopante dans notre pays actuellement, le Peuple Gabonais, poussé par l'instinct de survie, vient plutôt lancer un appel à votre organisme pour qu’il refuse le don de 2 millions de dollars US que voudrait lui offrir l’Etat gabonais.
Ali Bongo, in an interview to the UN radio, justified his offer:
We have indicated our wish, like the one of many other countries, for the creation of a Palestinian State, at the side of the State of Israel. (…) The Palestinian people have the same right to its aspirations like the rest of us.
Gabon has recognised [fr] the existence of Palestine since 1989.
On an article published by Jeune Afrique, ‘le gabonais’ commented:
Contrairement aux uns, je pense que l'aide apporter à l'UNESCO est normale. car cette institution apporte beaucoup au monde et au peuple gabonais en particulier. l'Unesco soutient nos programmes et surtout ceux de la société civile au Gabon depuis ces dernier temps. laisser l'Unesco dans la boue faute d'avoir accueilli la Palestine est inadmissible. Merci Mr le Président d'avoir fait le geste.
In its letter to Irina Bokova, Ca suffit comme ça offers examples of alleged human rights violation by the incumbent regime:
Plusieurs illustrations peuvent être apportées à la corruption et à la privation de libertés fondamentales : plusieurs responsables de médias privés écrits et audiovisuels sont régulièrement emprisonnés et leurs médias illégalement suspendus, des leaders syndicaux de l'éducation nationale et d'autres fonctionnaires de ce secteur d'activité se sont vus suspendre leurs salaires pour avoir exercé leurs droits civiques ; des partis politiques dissouts (exemple de l’Union Nationale, principal parti de l’opposition gabonaise) (…)
Human rights violation caught on video?
Members of Ca suffit comme ça have publicised a video illustrating what they consider to be one of the Ali Bongo regime's violations, specifically regarding the right to receive a decent education. On November 14, YouTube user Miguel Yalban posted a video of an alleged attack by public forces in a high school of Port-Gentil, the country's second largest city and the center of Gabon's petroleum industry:
The female student in the video explains [fr]:
Students of Thuriaf Bantsantsa school have been on strike since Friday morning (November 11, 2011) (…). This morning we were at our school, we hadn't broken anything. Public forces arrived to ensure security, but instead of that, they came in and started beating up kids in uniform (…) One girl fell, I don't know if you've seen that (…) others were wounded, we took them to the hospital
Some netizens doubted the veracity of the event. One YouYube user mpsi91 commented [fr] :
Ohh qu'est ce qu'ils revendiquent même? Certains font la grève là juste pour ne pas avoir cours (à sourire au caméra pendant que les autres essayent d'expliquer le problème)!
Elie Gbg Jeremie, a Facebook user who appears to be a student from the school, explains:
ns eleves de BANTSANTSA ns n avons pas accepter la decision du conseil de ministre d la semaine derniere qi a nommé notre proviseur a un autre poste (…). Notr Lycée a 1e tres mauvaise renomée dans la vill e de Pog M.Mihindou vient et veux chang cette image de nous,on ns l enleve. (…) cette scene fut vraiment ecoeurente lorsq ses gens ns ont prit d assaut.

author: Julie Owono


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India: Lessons from Gandhi · Global Voices
Rezwan

Priyanka Matanhelia lists some lessons from Mohandas K. Gandhi, the legendary political and ideological leader of India, which are still relevant today.

author: Rezwan


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Kenya: The Maasai Flame · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Learn about the Maasai flame from the Wandering Trader: “One of the unique aspects of visiting the Maasai in Kenya is they perform many of their rituals while you are there.  After seeing the way they typically dance and getting a taste of what life is like inside their homes they took us outside to see other aspects of their culture.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kuwait: Protesters Storm the National Assembly · Global Voices
Mona Kareem

Thousands of angry Kuwaitis stormed the National Assembly building on Wednesday 16 November, 2011, after police and security forces clashed with protestors. Kuwait's political sphere has been extremely tense in the past few years, and with the Arab Spring earlier this year, the situation took a new turn.
Before protests began in Tunisia and Egypt, there were clashes in Kuwait in December 2010 between the parliament and the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, when some MPs were beaten by anti-riot police alongside people attending a political gathering organized in the house of Muslim Brotherhood MP Jimaan Al-Harbish.
MPs subsequently demanded the opportunity to quiz the prime minister and his ministers on charges of corruption; the cabinet resigned, and the prime minister was reappointed for the seventh time since he was first appointed five years ago.
Youth call for protests
After the Arab Spring, calls for protests in Kuwait started in March 2011 and around 1,000 protesters showed up, alongside politicians and MPs, to demand the departure of Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah whom they accuse of corruption.
Recently, the prime minister went to the Constitutional Court to get a valid decision that rules out any quizzing by MPs over accusations of bribery. Opposition members have also been accused of getting bribed or controlled by other figures such as ruling family members, who are battling with the current prime minister to win his chair.
This political wrangling has pushed the country's young people many times to try to organize themselves into a public movement demanding reforms and the resignation of Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah; however, some parliament members keep showing up to these protests in an attempt to take credit, chant, make statements, and lead the crowds to enforce their own agendas.
Storming the National Assembly
On 16 November, Kuwaiti youth who were just starting to camp in the capital Kuwait City's Erada Square in front of the National Assembly – enraged by what the prime minister did to run away from getting questioned – decided to protest in the square to once again demand his departure.
MPs showed up as usual and gave speeches, but when security forces tried to stop one of them from speaking, the situation escalated and clashes began with security forces that caused some injuries. Suddenly, the crowd decided to storm the National Assembly in an attempt to reclaim the parliament, which is referred to by the Kuwaiti constitution as “the house of the people.”
Here are pictures and videos of the event as tweeted by several protesters.
Clashes between protesters and security guards:
Image posted by @AbdullahBoftain on Twitpic
Protesters in the National Assembly's main hall (Abdullah Al-Salem Hall) standing over tables and chairs and chanting that “this their house and they have taken it back”:
Image posted by @waleed_bokubar on Twitpic
One of the protesters on the ground after clashes with security forces:
Image posted by 3asalaswad on Yfrog
One of the protesters who got shot with a rubber bullet:
Image posted by Twitter user @ALI_M_ALMUTAIRI
Security officers start to crack down on protesters:
Image posted to Yfrog
Protesters leaving the parliament after storming it:
Image posted by Twitter user @ALI_M_ALMUTAIRI
7eyad news service posted this video to YouTube, which shows protesters singing “Leave, Leave, Leave” by the gate of the National Assembly:
@Wikileaks_q8 posted this video on twitter of protesters chanting “The people want to topple the president [the prime minister]”:
Sultan Al-Jazzaf (@sjazzaf) posted this video of the protesters and MPs after breaking into the National Assembly:
Video footage of different moments of the protest taken from Al-Youm TV which was live broadcasting the events:

author: Mona Kareem


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North Korea Opens its Door for Tourists, But Cellphones are Not Allowed · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

North Korea, one of the world's most reclusive states, opens its door a tiny crack for tourists to earn hard currency. But tourists are forbidden from bringing cellphone, sending an email and talking to ordinary North Koreans. A travel blogger from the Tripified.ca left sarcastic comments  on North Korea's tourism plan.


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Pakistan: SMS Filtration Good Or Bad? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pakistani blogger Rebz discusses about the merits and demerits of the new SMS filtration step taken by the Pakistan Telecom Authority.


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Peru: ‘Sugar Camp Lima’ Aims to Give Children a Learning Platform in Their Native Language · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

“Inventors, artists, educators and citizens” are invited to participate in Sugar Camp Lima 2011 [es] on November 18 and 19 in Lima, Peru. Participants will work on the ‘Sugar’ learning platform for XO Laptops by translating content [es] into Quechua and Aymara and participating in a ‘Hacker's Space’ [es]. Registration [es] is still open. Read more about this initiative in Juan Arellano's personal blog [es].

author: Silvia Viñas


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Philippines: Hillary Clinton visit met with protest · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

United States State Secretary Hillary Clinton's November 15-16 visit to the Philippine capital Manila was met with protests against the ‘continuing U.S. stranglehold over the Philippine economy, military, politics and foreign relations.’

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Sao Tome and Principe: Community Radio Takes Advantage of Social Media · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Somos Todos Primos (We are all cousins) [pt] is the name of an online community radio whose first letters are a clue to the country it refers to: São Tomé and Príncipe. Both its Facebook page and Ning network have a lot of activity from listeners.

author: Sara Moreira


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Sri Lanka: Music For Harmony · Global Voices
Rezwan

Natalie Soysa at Groundviews highlights emerging home grown music talents from Sri Lanka whose work reaches across cultures and ethnicity to offer a new way of moving forward together.


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Trinidad & Tobago: A Father’s Rights  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jumbie's Watch “adds his voice” to that of a Trinidadian father who was not allowed to stay in the hospital overnight with his sick son, saying of the powers-that-be: “They find ways of justifying any and everything without referencing policy and behaviour against some higher guiding principle, or logic.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Government & Gangs · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

aka_lol says of the government's Colour Me Orange crime and poverty reduction project: “[It] seems like throwing gasoline in the fire where crime is concerned…I suppose Government’s policy is to manage gangs rather than eliminate the need for them.”


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Ukraine: Photoshopped Chuck Norris and the Ukrainian Language Day · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

On Nov. 9, Ukrainian netizens marked the Ukrainian Language Day – UA Day 2011 [uk] – by posting and tweeting exclusively in Ukrainian. Cherkasy-based Fedir Gontsa [uk] decided to draw attention to the initiative by creating a photoshopped image of the American actor Chuck Norris posing with a Ukrainian language textbook, and posting it on Facebook and Twitter. This well-meaning prank was mistaken for the real thing by some Ukrainian media: the Lviv daily Vysokyi Zamok and Like.lb.ua both ran the fake photo and reported that Chuck Norris had actually met with members of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Ontario, Canada. Roman Golubovsky posts a chronology of this incident [uk], interviews Gontsa, and writes that “the story deserves a mention in journalism textbooks.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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USA: Will Occupy Oakland Activist “Pancho” Be Deported? · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.
The arrest of a meditating protester Francisco “Pancho” Ramos Stierle outside Oakland City Hall last November 14th has become the battle flag for the Occupy Oakland camp, in California.
This 36-year-old Mexican tweep (@ONEworldcitizen), blogger and activist was detained with two others who sat beside him quietly meditating in a yoga pose while surrounded by chaos as riot police evicted Frank Ogawa Plaza. A total of 32 protesters where taken to custody that Tuesday.  As he was booked in Alameda County jail, his fingerprints flagged him as an immigrant.
“As police officers lifted him up and handcuffed him, he slipped on his shoes and was escorted away,” described this article from Mercury News.
"Pancho" Ramos being arrested at Occupy Oakland eviction
For three days, this dedicated peace activist sat imprisoned, even though the charges were dropped, and was ” identified as a particularly dangerous inmate, wearing a red jacket in jail, and shackled so that the movement of his arms was restrained,” according to the Free Pancho website.
Here are some reactions from Twitter taken from the hashtag #FreePancho as the story developed:
Teacher and University Chaplain Chaz Howard (@Chaz_Howard) informed:
An inspiring peace activist who was at Occupy Oakland now faces threats of deportation – Inside Bay Area http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_19342303?source=most_viewed #FreePancho
Journalist Steve Fisher (@Stevelfisher) tweeted with irony:
Pancho's “criminal” charge of meditating at #OO [Occupy Oakland] was dropped by Alameda County. ICE hold remains #freepancho
Immigrant Rights (@changeImmigrant) commented:
Thousands Rally to #FreePancho – Peace Activist Arrested While Meditating at #OccupyOakland http://chn.ge/rCu8iu #ows #immigration
His detention and possible deportation inspired almost 8,000 people to sign a change.org petition against his deportation in just two days. Pancho calmly and confidently expressed:
You cannot deport me like you cannot deport the sun.
Here's a YouTube video that summarizes his arrest:
Pancho was a doctoral student at the University of California at Berkeley, pursuing a Ph.D. in astrophysics. He resigned the program when he found out his knowledge was going to be used in the service of developing weapons of war, including so-called “safer nuclear weapons.”
As this post was written, Pancho was released on his own recognizance pending court hearing. As Gail Hynes Shea wrote in Pancho's Facebook page, his immigration status is still to be defined:
Pancho is free on his own recognizance pending a hearing! The feds actually took custody of him and released him! It doesn't mean he is out of the woods yet deportation-wise, but this is a great step. Thank you to all who signed the petition for him. Sometimes things happen that make me know that justice is still a priority in this country. This is one. Congratulations Pancho Ramos Stierle!
Signatures are still being collected to avoid his deportation.
This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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Yemen: Reuters Yields to the Power of Twitter! · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Over the past week Yemeni activists have been enraged after discovering that Reuters reporter Mohammad Sudam, has also been President Ali Abdullah Saleh's personal translator and his secretary since 2009. This clearly raised many issues, besides the integrity of Reuters, the conflict of interest of the reporter and the questionable objectivity of his reporting.It was also alarming because many news agencies around the world depend on Reuters “trusted” and “accurate” reports on Yemen.
This explained to many the media blackout that Yemen suffers from – since the source of information was controlling and selecting what news to publish and what not to.
A Yemeni abroad @NotUntilHeFalls tweeted:
essentially they have been instrumental in providing misinformation about the nature of what is going on in #yemen #shameonreuters legal?
Yemeni blogger @dory_Eryani along with other Yemeni activists went on a mission to expose Reuters and demanded a formal apology. She tweeted:
I -as a Yemeni- demand an apology from @Reuters . doryaleryani.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-p… Retweet if you agree #ShameOnReuters #Arabspring #Egypt #Tunisie
She explains in Arabic how the #ShameonReuters campaign developed in the program “Aswat Alshabakah” on France24 Arabic channel (video posted by france24arabic):
Others also supported the campaign, such as Arab journalist Dima Khatib, who posted a blog in Arabic, highlighting the power of Twitter in a smart title, “Reuters’ scandal with Saleh and Twitters’ power”.
France24 reporter Tatiana El Khoury @AswatF24 asked Reuters for an explanation and got an official response which she sent to Emirati @SultanAlQassemi who quoted it in his blog:
Reuters responds to social media criticism on hiring Yemen President Saleh's personal translator as its correspondent j.mp/rDm4uZ
A screen shot of the Reuters statement in Arabic
The official statement by Reuters reads:
“For more than 160 years, Reuters coverage has been a trusted source in the Middle East. Mohammed Suddam's contributions to the file as a stringer are balanced and meet the high standards we set for the news organization globally.” – Reuters
Brian Whitaker, a journalist at the Guardian tweeted:
@Brian_Whit: The problem with Sudam being employed by both Reuters and Yemen's president is conflict of interest. bit.ly/tH5dN7 #ShameOnReuters
Reuters’ disappointing response just added insult to injury and angered Yemeni activists further, and as many said it just showed the organisation's arrogance.
Bahraini blogger (and Global Voices contributor) Amira Al Hussaini tweeted in dismay:
@JustAmira: Wow Reuters! Come down from your high horse: objectivity? neutrality? #ShameOnReuters #YEMEN
A Yemeni abroad who goes by the name @NotUntilHeFalls lamented Reuters’ 160-year history:
@reuters if those 160 years meant anything to u, u shouldn't have sold it so CHEAPLY then, should u? #shameonreuters
He adds:
playing with the lives of civilians in #yemen deserved a more considered response not an arrogant dismissal #shameonreuters
And wonders:
how many times have regime attacks on civilians been reported as ‘clashes’ or ‘conflicts’ by @reuters ? #shameonreuters
Adding:
on many people's mind's is how many lives lost in #yemen have gone unnoticed by biased reporting #shameonreuters
And finally rebukes:
@Reuters Have a little self respect for your 160 year reputation and admit ur shoddy reporting on #yemen #shameonreuters
On Thursday November 17, an article on the New York Times  tweeted by @samwaddah, indicated that the news agency finally yielded to the Twitter pressure as it indicated “the reporter, Mohamed Sudam, would no longer be working for them from Yemen, though he would likely still provide reports from elsewhere in the Middle East.”
Reuters Stands by Reporter, Mohamed Sudam, Who Also Works for #Yemen‘s President: http://nyti.ms/w3g55K #ShameOnReuters
But Reuters finally did get the message as @Brian_Whit tweeted:
Mohamed Sudam is “no longer reporting for Reuters from Yemen” http://wapo.st/tclEkZ #ShameOnReuters
This is the official statement on Reuters Facebook page:
Statement from Reuters regarding Mohamed Sudam: Sudam’s work as a Reuters stringer over the course of many years has been fair and accurate. When he became a translator for the president, he disclosed his role to Reuters. On reviewing the matter, however, we believe it’s not appropriate to use a stringer who is also working for the government. He is no longer reporting for us from Yemen.
Through their action on social media. Yemeni tweeps managed to send a powerful message the world that they will no longer tolerate any in accurate or misguided reporting on Yemen.
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

author: Noon Arabia


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Brazil: Students’ Eviction Strengthens Movement Against Militarization of University · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Student’s assembly on November 8. Photo by Stefano Biagioni Wrobleski on Facebook
[All links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted.]
On the morning of November 8, 2011, the military police (MP) cleared by force the Dean’s office building of Sao Paulo University (SPU). The building had been occupied by nearly 70 students since October 27, in protest over the arrest of three students for smoking marijuana. (See Global Voices’ report [en] on the original incident.)
The November 8 operation involved around 400 policemen from the MP’s Shock Troops belonging to the Special Operations forces and MP cavalry.
Jornalist Shayene Metri from Campus Journal covered this story:
Muitos PMs chegaram, saindo de  carros, motos, ônibus,  caminhões.  Apareceram helicópteros e cavalaria.  Nem eu e, acredito,  nem a maior  parte dos presentes já tinham visto  tanto policial em  ação.
[…]
Os  estudantes que enfrentavam de verdade os policiais que faziam a    ‘corrente’ em torno da Reitoria eram levados para dentro. Em questões  de   segundos, um estudante sumia da minha frente e era levado pra  dentro  do  cerco.
http://youtu.be/zP3iKI9uiWs
Seventy students were taken to the 91st delegacy of Sao Paulo’s Civilian Police to provide statements about the Dean’s office building occupation. They were released only after bail was posted on their behalf by the USP’s workers syndicate, reported journalist Paulo Moreira Leite, who added:
Lá fora, muitos estudantes diziam — com convicção — que  seu movimento  expressa a alvorada de um levante popular, exemplo do que  acontece com a  insurreição estudantil no Chile, a revolta dos  indignados na Espanha, a  ocupação de Wall Street e tudo mais. Na sala  com os delegados, ouvia-se  argumentos típicos da polícia política do  regime miltar.
Legitimacy of the student’s movement
MPs shock troops, with unidentified policemen, reunited in front of the Dean’s office. Photo from the Colective Passa Palavra, Copyleft
In a speech issued after their removal, students declared that “the incident of October 27, the arrest of the three students for carrying marijuana, was not the main catalyst for the student’s demands. On the contrary, it had been the last straw to pre-existing insatisfactions” with the SPU’s security model and the lack of transparency from the Dean’s office.
More can be read about their demands and protests against the presence of the MP on the SPU campus on journalist Leonardo Sakamoto’s blog, in his interview with the directors of the Central Directorate of SPU’s students.
Students have been organizing themselves in assemblies, and on November 7 about a thousand of them came together to deliberate whether to continue their course of action or change tactics. Despite the fact that votes in favor for the ending of the occupation won by a close margin, some radical elements decided to maintain the occupation. Knowing that it was considered illegal by law enforcement, the main student body refused to accept a violent intervention by the police.
Blogger Eduardo Guimarães comments that the method or legitimacy of the occupation is immaterial:
Não dá para criticar os estudantes da USP.  Pouco importa  se o método que escolheram para protestar contra o  aumento do efetivo  da PM no campus foi equivocado. Quando o governo  monta uma operação de  guerra com um contingente policial desse tamanho  enquanto a cidade pena  nas mãos dos bandidos, tudo mais perde o sentido.
University under militarization
Cartoon by Carlos Latuff. Under CC
The MP’s presence on the campus is the result of an arrangement between SPU and the military police, made after Filipe Ramos de Paivas’s assassination, as explained by Daniel Lopes, editor of the blog Amálgama, who indicates that it caused “a drastic drop in criminality”. Despite this fact, students are denouncing the police presence, which contested Dean Joao Grandino Rodas has called a provocation on their part.
Rodas is considered to have taken office illegitimately as he wasn’t elected by vote, having been appointed by the then governor, José Serra. Journalist Gilherme Scazili believes that “since  recent events, the University’s management model imposed by the state government has lost its last bit of legitimacy”.
According to cartoonist Carlos Latuff:
Dado o histórico autoritário do atual reitor da USP, não é dificil  perceber que o real interesse de Rodas está longe de ser a segurança no  campus e sim a instalação de um aparato de repressão para não só impor  as políticas do governador Geraldo Alckmin, como também reprimir  movimentos sociais, nesse caso em particular, a organização de  estudantes, professores e funcionários da universidade.
Student and activist Hugo Albuquerque concurs:
Quando  falamos em militarização do campus, não estamos,  de modo algum,  exagerando. O que ocorre é o  contrário: estamos  normalmente esquecidos  que, embora o Brasil tenha se tornado uma  democracia à moda ocidental –  com todas as suas boas-intenções e  bom-mocismos -, ainda temos como principal força de segurança policial um corpo militar com poder sobre a população civil em tempos de paz.   Pior do que isso, só mesmo a decisão política de colocar tal força  para  dentro de uma instituição de ensino – ou, quem sabe, fazer isso e   esperar que não ocorra nenhum incidente.
In a text published by the blogger Conceição Oliveira, students like Yacov Fidélis complain about the media's exaggeration of their actions and society’s reaction:
passou a vender a imagem de que os estudantes rebeldes estavam  dispostos a quebrar tudo e deixar a vida de seus colegas à mercê de  bandidos só para poderem fumar maconha em paz.
Professor and blogger Chico Bicudo went further, selecting a series of verbal attacks against the students, and criticizing the use of some adjectives and typical sentences:
(…) os estudantes da USP são “maconheiros e mimados”. O  adjetivo é o argumento de quem não tem argumentos. Reduz o mundo  complexo a uma marca – repetida exaustivamente, transforma-se em rótulo,  que não desgruda mais. Funciona para desqualificar, para agredir, para  achincalhar, para impor falsas verdades. Jamais para debater. Porque,  para tanto, é preciso estar disposto a ouvir, a descobrir, a mergulhar, a  pensar – e não só a reproduzir qualidades ou defeitos colhidos aos  quatro cantos.
Cartoon by Carlos Latuff under CC.
Jornalist Marcelo Rubens concludes:
Venceram a generalização, o debate político raso e o Estado maniqueísta.
Perderam a dialética e os movimentos sociais.
Perdeu a DEMOCRACIA [o diálogo].
Sim, a violência urbana pede a PM no campus universitário. A maioria estudantil, idem.
Mas não esta PM mal treinada, viciada em extorsão a maconheiros, pragmática.
The generalization, low political debate and manipulative state won.
Dialectics and social movements lost.
Democracy lost.
Yes, urban violence asks for the MP’s presence in the campus. Most students ask it too.
But not this untrained MP, addicted to extortion to marijuana smokers and pragmatic.
After these events, USP students reunited in assembly have decided to call teachers and functionaries for a strike. Solidarity with the movement has come from other universities, such as UNICAMP'S teachers and functionaries, and students from UNESP,  and student strikes are threatening to spread to other universities in Sao Paulo.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Egypt: The Question of Election Symbols · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

A car, a gun, a toothbrush, a spaceship and an eye! Those are just some of the symbols you can see on the election banners on Egyptian streets as the countdown for election day in Egypt nears. Election symbols are used in many countries, whether it is Liberia, Sudan or India, and George Iype wrote in Rediff why those symbols are used in India:
One of the biggest problems for many voters in India, where a large part of the population is still illiterate, is how to identify their chosen candidates on the ballots. The Election Commission, thus, has the laborious task of allocating separate election symbols for each party and the innumerable independent candidates.
In Egypt, the use of election symbols dates back to the year 1956. At the time, 30 symbols were enough [ar] to cover the number of candidates in each Electoral District. But today, according to “Al-Manzala Now”, about 250 symbols are needed to cover the number of candidates:
No matter what, our minds will tend to make a certain link between each candidate and his symbol, or as Moritz puts it here:
The problem of course is, that specific symbols actually carry certain values and connotations with them and therefore having a specific symbol might be an advantage, such as having the moon [crescent] as symbol in predominantly Muslim countries.
Eman AbdElRahman used irony to comment on the symbols in her district [ar]:
بخلاف البيانو والخاتم وبوكيه الورد.. في دايرتنا مرشح رمز العود!.. طب اختار مين ولا مين كدة؟ الرموز احلى من بعض..
The candidate of the Conservatives Party is using an Army Tank as his symbol. By @ashrafkhalil
With the tense relation the Egyptians are having with the military, and with the incidents of protesters being ran-over by armoured vehicles, Ahmad Gharbeia found some symbols to be really odd and shouldn't have been accepted by the candidates. He tweets [ar]:
الحزب ال يختار رموز فاشلة زي مسدس و سيف و دبابة أكيد من خارج الثورة و التاريخ و مش لازم حد ينتخبهم
The word rocket on the other hand is used in the Egyptian dialect to refer to a hottie, and when used by an actress, people couldn't stop themselves from making fun of it.
On the other hand, some candidates adapted their banners and slogans to suit their symbols:
Bassem Sabry published one of the election banners, where the candidate's symbol is a teddy bear so he decided to adapt his slogan to it: "If you don't like my style already … give me back my teddy" (via @al_sa3idi)
Seeing the photograph above reminds me that no matter how strange it is, it's better than what used to happen in India a while ago, and how the Election Commission there changed the elections mandate in the 1990's accordingly.
The body took a call on animals and birds in 1990 after petitioners complained that parties were using dead parrots and doves on a string during their campaigns.
Another candidate, knowing the power symbols, decided to put the Facebook logo side by side with his official elections symbol. Tarek Shalaby made fun of him [ar]:
With all those strange and funny symbols, Twitter users started to wonder how the symbols are chosen. Blue Tercowas wonders [ar]:
هو في جدول مثلاً لأختيار الرموز ولا كل واحد علي مزاجه؟
Haidy Aly decided to direct this question to one of the candidates, who proposed to a well-known actress a few months ago in his newspaper column [ar]:
And according to Al-Manzala Now, symbols are assigned to candidates on a first come first serve basis and a candidate can request his symbol to be changed within 3 days after its assignment, given that it's not used by anybody else.
Finally, Farid Salim commented on the use of election symbols:

author: Tarek Amr


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Egypt: Have Activists and Journalists Been Targeted in Tahrir Square Clearing?  · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Egyptian riot police attacked the tent-camp set up in Tahrir Square for a sit-in that was started by many activists and protesters after yesterday's demonstration. Tear gas, rubber bullets and bird shots were used, injuring scores of people.
Among those who were injured is Malek Mostafa (@malek), who has reported lost an eye.
Lobna tweets [ar]:
@lobna: مالك فقد وظائف عينه ، هيتعمل له عملية انهارده لانقاذ شكل العين و موضعها
Photo shared by @shmpOngO
Netizens describe Malek as a blogger and one of the bravest activists who have been doing much to their country. There was an out pour of reactions after his injury was announced.
The Big Pharaoh tweets [ar]:
@TheBigPharaoh: مالك الجدع الطيب المتواضع اللى ضحى كتير عشان البلد دى عينه راحت
Boody adds [ar]:
@BooDy: مالك ده أخويا، صفوا عين أخويا ولاد الكلب. كفاية سلمية بقى
Malek was imprisoned with Alaa Abdel-Fattah (who is currently detained) in 2006 under Hosni Mubarak's regime. His latest blog posts [ar] were about his hunger strike in solidarity with Alaa and all other civilians detained after being tried in front of military courts. Alaa's wife Manal Hassan tweeted about what happened to Malek, and how it is believed that the current Egyptian regime knew whom they were targeting.
@manal: My dear friend @Malek has lost his eye today in #Tahrir he was in prison with @alaa in 2006. They want to get rid of us all #FuckSCAF
According to reports, it seems that activists and journalists who were trying to report what was happening today were all targeted by the security forces [Ar]. Ahmed Abd El-Fatah, who is a journalist, photographer and blogger was shot in the eye too.
Journalist Nora Younis reports:
@NoraYounis: Both @AhmedFatah and @MaLek now undergoing right eye surgery @ same hospital after getting shot by police #Pigs #NoSCAF
News later emerged that he lost his eye too, however Nora later tweets:
@NoraYounis: Please don't spread unconfirmed info on @AhmedFatah . We r at hospital & doctors didn't confirm his state yet. Be responsible & pray 4 him
Blogger Mahmoud Salem also added about Malek:
@Sandmonkey: Just left the hospital, @malek will be out in another hour & half & needs ur prayers. There might still be hope.
And Dalia Ezzat adds:
@Daloosh: The more eyes we lose, the clearer our vision will become. Time up #SCAF and co. #Tahrir #Pigs
Others have also reported arrests. Sanaa Youssef tweets her own arrest [ar]:
And journalist Abanoub Emad tweets his experience covering the protests [ar]:
Rehab El-Bakry tweeted regarding the Egyptian Press Syndicate report
@Rehab_Elbakry: @acarvin The press syndicate is reporting 2 journalist injured and 6 detained claiming they r targeted. #Egypt #tahrir
Finally, there sure will be debates all over the Egyptian media about the legality and the reasons for the sit-in, but Sarah tweeted that at the end of the day, there are no excuses for attacking the protesters. And the very same tweet was the last one for Malek to retweet before getting wounded.
@shmpOngO: اتفق أو اختلف مع الاعتصام واسبابه انت حر , بس حماية المتظاهرين ابسط قواعد حقوق الانسان
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.


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Egypt: Ultras Push Police Back as the Battle for Tahrir Continues  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Thousands of people flocked back to Tahrir Square on Friday to protest against the country's military rule. This morning, the Central Security Forces tried to violently disperse the crowds who camped overnight in the square using tear gas bombardments.
More protesters joined their comrades to push the police back. On Twitter, users describe running battles as police continue their assault and protesters insist on standing their ground and reclaiming the square. Twitter users also paint a story of gore and horror, as friends and family faint from the use of tear gas, others are injured when gunned down by rubber bullets fired at close range and rushed to hospital and loved ones are arrested and taken away to unknown locations.
A few minutes ago, the descent of thousands of football fans (ultras) to the square, which was the epicentre of the Egyptian revolution of January 25 which toppled dictator Hosni Mubarak, made the CSF retreat.
Here are some reactions from Twitter.
An hour ago, Bel Trew a journalist based in Cairo, tweeted:
@Beltrew: Made it up to a high vantage point.Tear gas is so thick even up here u can't breathe.Riot police took the square, arresting people #tahrir
Nada Wassef then announces:
@Nadawassef: News that 20،000 ultras are on their way #Tahrir
From his vantage point, Trew confirms:
@Beltrew: #csf leaving. Apparently it's the football fans who stormed #tahrir they are chasing police down Talaat harb street! #ultras
He posts the following picture and tweets:
Ultras descend on Tahrir Square. Picture from Twitter by Bel Trew
@Beltrew: Football fans storm #Tahrir and take it back from #csf
And Mosa'ab Elshamy tweets:
@mosaaberizing: The Ultras are here. I know that because they're the only ones facing the CSF with force while singing their hymns.
eSocialists posts this video and adds [ar]:
The video is posted by Hossam El Hamalawy on YouTube:
Sharif Kouddous notes:
@sharifkouddous: Protesters have retaken Tahrir square. Chanting for an end to military rule.
He posts this picture to show the crowds returning to Tahrir.
Protesters return to Tahrir. Picture by Sharif Kouddous
Minutes later, Sabry Khaled tweets:
@sabrykhaled: Back to #tahrir square #Victory , protesters are calling for a sit-in till the scaf is down, no clashes now, Home #tahrir is safe now :)
Activist Gigi Ibrahim is ecstatic that protesters have made some progress. She tweets:
@Gsquare86: YESSS protesters are back at #Tahrir sq kicking police's ass !!!
With parliamentary elections looming, starting on November 28, blogger Nermeen Edrees offers candidates an ultimatum [ar]:
Trew also refers to the nearing elections. He tweets:
@Beltrew: Taking my journalist hat off. I'm so upset with what I have witnessed all day. 9 days till farcical elections &#csf are very violent #tahrir
According to government figures, today's injuries stand at at least 81 people hurt. Adam Makary tweets:
@adammakary: State media quoting health ministry official saying at least 81 injured so far from #tahrir clashes #egypt
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Greece: Thessaloniki declared the 2014 European Youth Capital  · Global Voices
Alexia Kalaitzi

Thessaloniki: European Youth Capital. Source: TVXS.
Yesterday, the 18/11/2011, was an extremely happy day for the city of Thessaloniki which was announced as the European Youth Capital 2014. The official announcement was made in the city of Braga, Portugal, by the president of the European Youth Forum, Peter Matjašič who stated:
“Thessaloniki built the strongest application, with a profound program that is packed with creative ideas”
One can read congratulatory messages and statements full of optimism and hope for a successful event on Twitter (#Thess2014) and Facebook. The majority see the success as an opportunity to showcase the beauty and dynamic of the city and to combat the moaning and pessimism in which Thessaloniki has been submerged due to the economic crisis.
Fotis commented on Twitter:
@citizenfotis: Μέσα στη γενικότερη μιζέρια και μια θετική είδηση για τη Θεσσαλονίκη που το αξίζει. Συγχαρητήρια!!! #thess2014
@citizenfotis [el]: In the general misery comes some positive news for Thessaloniki which deserves it. Congratulations!!! #thess2014
See here the official candidate city video of Thessaloniki and read more information about the event and the institution of the European Youth Capital on the official website, which has already been translated into 10 different languages.

author: Alexia Kalaitzi


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Iran: A top missile designer killed in explosion · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Pandar writes [fa] that Reza Mir Husseini, a member of Revolutionary Guard and a top missile designer was killed blast in a military base near Tehran last week.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Israel: Netanyahu Threatens to Replace Interns with Indian Doctors  · Global Voices
Carmel L. Vaisman

Israeli medical interns were one of the most prominent sectors in the social protest that stirred Israel this summer and one of the few sectors that have kept striking until a fair agreement is reached. Their struggle has been occupying the front pages of the Israeli newspapers in the last couple of days; Friday 18 November's newspapers have quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting to the Ministry of Health to replace the interns with foreign labor contractors from India, if an agreement can not be reached with them.
This shocking remark, coming from the Prime Minister against the backdrop of poor labor conditions across sectors and the government's tightening control on foreign labor through discontinuing of visas, has been the top conversation topic online over the weekend.
As critique over social media is often presented in the form of humor and sarcasm, many Israeli interns have replaced their profile pages on Facebook to pictures of Indian doctors as seen in the profiles collection on Ido Keinan's blog, who reported the phenomenon first.
Message on the wall reads: "Bibi, you live in a Bollywood movie!"
Israeli interns change thier profile pictures to those of Indian doctors to protest Prime Minister Netanyahu's intent to replace them with foreign labor contractors
Israelis have been posting to the Facebook page of “civilians supporting the interns struggle” pictures of Gandhi or of Netanyahu wearing a Sikh turban, subtitled: “Wanted – an Indian PM” or “We can import an Indian PM too”, as well as digitally-manipulated pictures of Netanyahu's wife in an Indian sari.
Caption reads "We can import a PM from India too"
On Twitter @orbar wondered:
When they bring doctors form India will they instruct Oz bullies (the police unit responsible for capturing illegal foreign workers) to ask for medical diplomas?
@nitayp suggests:
I have a solution for this crisis: if the inters call themselves settlers instead of interns suddenly their demands will seem natural and reasonable
Famous Journalist and Television critique Rannan Shaked tweeted:
Bring doctors from India, social workers from Denmark, trains from Japan and community services from Sweden. Only keep bringing the Prime Ministers from your butt.
In a more serious tone, opposition Knesset member, Dov Khenin tweeted:
Netanyahu: “bring doctors from India”. The essence of Capitalism in 3 words. And when these doctors will learn Hebrew and learn to organize their labor, we will deport them and import others from China.

author: Carmel L. Vaisman


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Morocco: Call to Free Rapper Haked  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

In Morocco, a call has gone out for netizens to join in a campaign to free jailed rapper Haked. Mamfakinch tweets: “Help free Moroccan democracy activist & rapper Mouad Haked. Take pic of yourself w/ sign reading #FreeHaked. Send it to FREEMOUAD@GMAIL.COM.”  Mamfakinch posts more details on his case here.


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Petition for ‘Support a Debt-Free Timor-Leste’ · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

An online petition opposes the plan of the East Timor government to obtain foreign loans next year. East Timor is urged to learn from the mistakes of other developing countries whose economies were crippled by huge foreign debt.

author: Mong Palatino


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Philippines: Anti-budget Cut Campaign · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

A round-up of the 2011 anti-social services budget cut campaign in the Philippines.


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Philippines: Former President Arrested · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Dramatic attempts by former Philippine President and current congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to escape the country have sparked public outrage on Twitter and other social networking sites.
Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo have attempted to leave the country several times these past few days, claiming she was only seeking medical treatment abroad. These attempts were blocked, reportedly because the Arroyos were under investigation for plunder, human rights violations, and electoral fraud controversies under her term as president. Arroyo was president from 2001 to 2010.
The Noynoy Aquino government's failure to prosecute Arroyo even after more than 500 days in office has been blamed for the former president's almost successful attempts to flee the country.
A warrant of arrest for “electoral sabotage” has been issued against Arroyo after the Philippine Supreme Court has ruled that she must be allowed to travel overseas because no charges have been filed against her. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:
@teddycasino: It is with utmost joy that we welcome the issuance of a warrant of arrest against GMA. Since 2005 we have been trying to make her account for her cheating, stealing and lying ways. This is a vindication of our efforts. But the work has just begun. There is the difficult legal battle ahead and more cases that have to be filed in court. We laud the COMELEC, DOJ and Pasay RTC for their swift and decisive action. (author's note: Comelec is election agency, DOJ is Department of Justice)
@hgcastillo: I wonder what GMA is feeling right now…
@KikoHubilla: GMA is trying to leave the country to avoid all the accusations against her.
@gibbscadiz: the outcome was good–arroyo charged–but the getting there was as ad hoc, incompetent, amateurish as it could get; nothing to be proud of.
@monsieurearl: Ikulong na yan si GMA! Walang awa awa!
@NielZapanta: Whenever there's a flash news about #arroyoarrest, it looks like a teleserye. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata….
@w3ncy: #itlognitopacio saved by this afternoon's developments on the CGMA arrest.
@carloshconde: Today was not political will in action. It was desperation, w/ govt fully aware that there would be hell to pay if Arroyo managed to leave.
The hashtag #ArroyoArrest has been trending on Twitter worldwide after Arroyo's arrest warrant has been served Friday evening. The hashtag #itlognitopacio also trended after the Arroyos’ legal counsel Ferdinand Topacio wagered that he will have one of his testicles removed if the Arroyos do not return from overseas.


text:
Singapore: Government Social Media Directory · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Government Social Media Directory allows the public to search for social media initiatives by Singapore government agencies.