Portugal: Massive Protest Against Troika Sparks Momentum
Sara Moreira
7 September 2012
Since the period that followed the end of dictatorship in Portugal in 1974, there hasn't been such wide participation in a protest [en] as September 15's massive anti-austerity mobilization ‘Screw the troika! We want our lives‘ (Que se lixe a troika! Queremos as nossas vidas) [en]. Between 660,000 and 1 million people of all ages took to the streets in more than 40 cities throughout the country and abroad, booing the government, the troika [of inspectors from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund], the inequity, the growing unemployment and impoverishment and the lack of justice and opportunities for all.
Social networks have been abuzz, with the hashtags #15sPT and #QueSeLixeATroika still being used on Twitter. The blog O que diz a rua (What the street says) gathers a vast set of crowdsourced photos and videos of the protests that are used to illustrate this post.
The challenge is the day after
The figures show how an increasing proportion of the population of this country of roughly 10 million is discontented with the measures imposed by the government and the troika to address the public debt. On September 7, Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho had announced more austerity measures to be implemented in 2013, which will visibly worsen the impact of debt in the pockets and accounts of both public and private workers.
Whereas the scale of the protests is a sound and clear sign that people reject those measures, the coming weeks are expected to bring more developments in the political arena, with President Cavaco Silva having called a State Council meeting next Friday, September 21, while the state budget for 2013 is expected to be voted on in parliament on October 15.
Meanwhile, citizens are using their blogs to reflect on the momentum that the protests have brought, and writing about possible paths for strengthening citizenship. “Instead of complaining about politics, it is time for us to do it”, writes journalist Daniel Oliveira, on his blog for Expresso newspaper.
Looking for inspiration on how citizens have “intervened in society and started demanding more democratic participation” following the economic crisis in Iceland in 2008, groups are organizing screenings of a recently launched documentary Pots, Pans and Other Solutions (Global Voices reported on the preparation of the documentary in September 2011, Portuguese ask Icelanders about democracy):
Quote:
The payment of bank debts by citizens went to referendum. The government was forced to create a Council to write a new constitution: a citizens’ group - without politicians, lawyers or university professors – who opened the discussion process to everybody and managed to approve by consensus a draft proposal. In Iceland, many citizens are now organized in associations and have substantial proposals for a society where everyone can participate.
Professor Heitor Alvelos from the University of Porto, believes that the real “challenge is the next day”. He argues that “the demand of a new country involves the reinvention of the paradigms of social relations”, and writes about lessons learned from the aftermath of March 12's Scrapping-by Generation [en] protests, saying that one should neither “start making proposals” nor “organizing movements”:
"The beginning of an effective change should start as simply as from an invitation for everyone to start going to the streets -every- Saturday, without an agenda, only to re-invent the public space (geographical, social and affective) in an intuitive and generative way, infinitely multiple. Talking with strangers, amplifying micro-debate, finding similarities, differences, bridges, obstacles, contrasts and conciliation. Nurturing in the long term a living, active, self-regenerating social tissue."
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If the figures quoted are right that's about 10% of population
Mass protests raging for several days in the capital of Panama against a law allowing sale of land in one of the zones of the town of Colon on Friday erupted into riots in front of parliament building. Skirmishes are reported with the police, with the latter resorting to tear gas grenades. Helicopters are patrolling the conflict zone.
Panama’s police have arrested more than 200 people in the capital in the course of the unrest. Unidentified perpetrators looted several shops near the Parliament of Panama and in other areas of the capital. Rally participants blocked several city roads. Police resorted to tear gas to disperse the offenders.
A tense situation persists for several days now in the capital and the city of Colón. The population is protesting a government-adopted law allowing the sale of public lands in Colón’s free trade area. Protesters see no point in selling land which is leased, and demand the law be revoked. Although the President of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli, has said that the legislation will be revised, riots in the capital and in Colón show no sign of abating, reports ITAR-TASS.
Vice-President of Panama, Juan Varela has appealed to fellow citizens to cease unrest, alluding to the fact the president had promised to repeal the law.
Companies registered in the Colon Free Zone do not pay taxes. If these lands are sold, the businesses will lose their benefits. The protesters fear that in this case they will lose their jobs.
Student activists scale roof of Scottish Parliament for Gaza
weareallhanashalabi
November 22, 2012
Around fifteen members of the We Are All Hana Shalabi network have occupied the roof of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh, in protest at the recent massacre carried out by the Israeli Army in Gaza. The activists are calling upon the Scottish Government to do more to condemn Israel’s recent crimes, and to acknowledge strong Scottish public demand for sanctions against Israel for its ongoing occupation, colonisation and massacring of Palestinian people.
A statement this week from Scottish Government Minister for External Affairs and International Development Humza Yousaf acknowledged the illegality of Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza, yet the Scottish Government has failed to take steps towards exerting international diplomatic pressure on Israel.
Last night's ceasefire agreement may have brought an end to most recent escalation of attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, however history demonstrates that Israel will continue to carry out acts of aggression on the people of Gaza, who remain under siege by a brutal occupation which restricts movement of people as well as essential materials such as food, medicine, building materials etc. Israel has a history of violating ceasefire agreements, and the action at the Scottish Parliament today intends to pressure the Scottish Government to acknowledge this reality and take preventative action today.
Beti Brown, 19, who is on the roof of Parliament at this moment, said: ”The world has been shocked to watch Israel’s recent attacks on the civilian population of Gaza, and many people have felt helpless as to what we can do as members of the public to stop the violence. We are calling on our government to acknowledge Palestinian rights, which include the right to defend themselves against the illegal occupation it has suffered under for decades, and to support the movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.”
3 banners are being displayed, reading “End Israeli War Crimes”.. “Stand With the Oppressed or You’re Standing With The Oppressor..the third is in Arabic and roughly translates to “Gaza, We Stand With You, Palestine Will Be Free”
The ceasefire might thankfully be in place but as long as Israel enjoys total impunity in the face of the UN or International Law, as long as even progressive government such as the current SNP Scottish government make weak statements even falling short of condemning Israel and last but not least..as long as Israel can expect the completely biased and disgusting coverage from the likes of the BBC then we can guarantee that there will be yet another Israeli massacre in Gaza.
Well that is completely unacceptable and the reason why that despite the bombs having stopped dropping for the moment planned international solidarity demonstrations for this weekend will be going ahead. In Scotland people will be travelling to Glasgow and assembling at the Donald Dewar statue on the top of Buchanan Street at 1pm before marching to the BBC.
Thousands protest racism in Athens rally
XINHUA
2013-1-20
ATHENS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of protesters marched in the center of Athens on Saturday afternoon, denouncing racism following a fatal attack against a Pakistani immigrant earlier this week. Approximately 4,000 Greeks and foreigners living in Greece chanted slogans against fascist violence, as members of the Pakistani community held prayers in front of the City hall and carried the coffin of a Pakistani migrant stabbed to death by two Greeks aged 29 and 25 years old on Thursday in Athens.
According to local media reports, the two Greeks told prosecutors that they attacked 27-year old Shehzad Luqman after a strong verbal argument, because he blocked their motorbike with his bicycle. However, the discovery of pre-election posters of the far-Right "Chryssi Avgi" (Golden Dawn) party at the home of one of the attackers indicated that the attack could be racist.
The Golden Dawn which calls for the ousting of all illegal migrants from Greece, entered the parliament for first time in last year's general elections with some 7 percent of voters' support. Several of its deputies and members have been linked to racist attacks which are on the rise in the recession-hit country.
Migrants and Greek anti-racist activists, students, members of trade unions and representatives of municipal authorities who marched in front of the Greek parliament on Saturday replied that "neo-Nazi should get out of Greece" instead.
Greece has been a gateway for hundreds thousands illegal migrants from Asia and Africa to other European countries over the past decade. Immigrants living in Greece have reported an increasing number of incidents of hostility against them by groups of ultra-Right racists.
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