demonstrations

Update: pro-Palestinian march ends in violence

Julien — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:58:10 +0200

Yesterday one of our Observers, Amal Ziada, told us she was on her way to a peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstration by Arab Israelis in northern Israel. The event went along as planned, with speeches and a symbolic release of black balloons. But as they were leaving, Amal says, the Arabs were confronted by a group of right-wing Israelis with banners. Tension escalated and Israeli police intervened - firing tear gas and "voice bombs," according to the demonstrators. Our Observers sent photos and video footage.

"It's this kind of revolt that can turn into a revolution"

Julien — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:40:35 +0200

Protesters tear down a picture of Mubarak. Photo by Mohamed Gaber.

What was supposed to be a workers' strike turned into violent riots in northeastern Egypt on Sunday resulting in 150 arrests, around 100 injured and at least one dead. Our Observers in the country explain why.

The chaos broke out on the day that spinning and weaving workers from the Nile Delta city of Mahalla el-Kobra threatened to strike over demands to increase the monthly minimum wage of only 115 Egyptian pounds (€15). Although the strike was called off, tensions over low pay, rapidly increasing prices and distrust of the upcoming local elections (held Tuesday) brought the city to boiling point. The riots calmed during the day on Tuesday following mass arrests, but are suspected to continue again at night.

"Putting out the flame is really going to upset the Chinese people"

Julien — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:29:07 +0200

The Olympic flame had to be put out for half an hour during its tour around Paris because of havoc wreaked by mainly pro-Tibetan protesters. ChinaWolf, who set up a YouTube channel to "defend the Chinese reputation", explains to us why he thinks the protests were unacceptable.

"We've hardly got any photos of the repression"

Julien — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:32:59 +0100

Photo taken in Lhasa today

Photos of the chaos in Lhasa are slowly finding their way to us. We asked a young Tibetan activist to explain how the Chinese government is managing to restrict information from leaving the country.

UPDATE (13 March 7.30pm): We published the first amateur images of events on the Observers site. Press agencies have now distributed new photos of the events, finally managing to get their documents out of the country.

The first image of the violence in Tibet

Julien — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:18:59 +0100

Protests which started on Monday 10 are still raging in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. Today, events seem to have taken a turn for the worse, as demonstrated in this photo taken by a tourist and retrieved by France 24. This is one of the only photos to have made it through the Chinese censors. Beijing has effectively established a blackout on all information about the event. There are even fewer images available than when violence broke out at protests in Burma in September last year. Until today, the only shots published of the demonstrations in Lhasa are those from two Belgian tourists travelling in Tibet. We’ll continue to follow the situation throughout the day on the Observers.

‘2008, looking forward to the Olympic Games and, even more so, a democratic China’

Julien — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:49:47 +0100

A pair of political activists from Shenzhen (south China) are using the Olympic Games to protest against the authorities despite a crackdown on free speech in the run up to the event. Li Tie and Zou Tao publish newsletters and organise protests, and have even prepared for their seemingly inevitable capture by the police. On Chinese New Year's Eve (6 Feb.) they organised a peaceful protest in Shenzhen City. The pair displayed banners reading ‘2008, looking forward to the Olympic Games and, even more so, a democratic China'.

Anti-Farc protest organised on Facebook unites at least two million Colombians

Julien — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:33:25 +0100

Two million people got together in Bogota on Monday to voice the same message: ‘say no to the Farc'. Our Observer, who attended the event, says that it will renew the ‘collective memory' of the country.

Start of a revolution in Belarus?

Julien — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:05:29 +0100

Belarus is one of the few remaining countries in the world where markets are entirely owned by the state. Inhabitants are, however, allowed to carry out small trade and sell their products in the street or on the markets, which is a good way of making a bit of money on the side for local people. But a new law recently introduced by the government will prohibit stall owners from employing anybody who is not a close-relative. The so-called Decree 760 therefore makes it impossible to run anything more than a one-man stand. On Monday, Belarusian market-traders stood up to the government and gathered in the streets to protest. They were quickly dispersed by the police. With another protest planned for Feb. 18, is there a revolution brewing in Belarus?

Riots in Yemen… where’s that?

Julien — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:27:00 +0100

At least four people were killed on Sunday (Jan. 13) in Aden, south Yemen, during confrontations between police and protesters. Didn't you hear? Or is it more a case of never having heard anything about a country which, despite being a neighbour of Saudi Arabia, is counted among the poorest in the world. François-Xavier Trégan, our Observer in the country's capital Sanaa, explains the origins of the conflict.

Our Observer takes a look around post-protest Nairobi

Julien — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:35:28 +0100

Raila Odinga supporters gave up their protests yesterday when the Orange Democratic Movement members finally gave in to the fact that the planned rally would not be going ahead due to police controls. Our Observer Daudi Were followed the police as they blockaded entrances to the city and told people to go home. And William Woeri, who's on the scene today, updates us on the current situation.