protest
Polish, Czech, Finnish and German media on Euro 2012 boycott
On 30 April EU Commission president José Manuel Barroso announced that he will stay away from the Euro 2012 in Ukraine as long as constitutional principles are violated there. Many politicians of European countries have rejected the idea, finding a boycott ineffectual and the discussion surrounding it hypocritical
protest, football, sport, angela merkel, joachim gauck, germany, european football championships
'Nichi’s Factories': from Italy to the world, politics without the party
The Fabbriche di Nichi phenomenon of 'manufacturing ideas' was first unearthed by politician Nichi Vendola and his left ecology freedom party. From the southern Italian region of Apulia the project is being exported abroad, as a new means of attracting young people to participate actively in political life without forcing them to join the party
protest, italy, berlin, madrid, left-wing, interview, silvio berlusconi
Anti-Putin protests continue in run-up to March 2012 elections
Russia’s very public objection to electoral fraud after parliamentary elections in early December was largely forgotten by western media in January. One Brit takes the temperature of the feeling on the streets of Moscow
protest, soviet, internet, russian federation, vladimir putin, euweek, politics
(Don’t) occupy Budapest: the right to protest in Hungarian streets
Something is rotten in the state of Hungary. The Hungarian government has reserved the entire city centre for celebrations on the upcoming national holiday, effectively blocking potential demonstrations. An overview of the opposition’s reaction
Arab spring in Morocco: royalists recognise indigenous language
Large-scale protests, like those seen on 20 February 2011, continue to be a familiar sight in Morocco. We talk to young Moroccans whose demands follow in the footsteps of the Arab spring – democracy, freedom, social justice – albeit with a royalist twist
protest, morocco, germany, maghreb, arab spring, revolution, politics
'What if?': students re-imagine 2011's big events
Protests, eurocrisis and elections: it's all too easy to assume the events we read about in the news are inevitable. Yet so often they are instead the result of chance encounters, spontaneous decisions and personal feelings. We asked four European students to re-imagine the big events of 2011
protest, angela merkel, london, russian federation, vladimir putin, united kingdom, nicolas sarkozy
Voina: 'As a Russian activist, I'm not sure that I will live long'
With organisers saying that almost 100, 000 people protested in Russia's biggest anti-governmental rally on 10 December - accusing the kremlin of 'fraud' in 4 December parliamentary elections - we hear from the Moscow-based self-styled 'street art gang' in part two of an exclusive interview, where they describe their role in this Russia
protest, ideology, best of cafebabel.com, russian federation, media, voina, politics
Russian art collective Voina: 'Zhlobs are in power in today's Russia'
The Moscow-based self-styled 'street art gang' formed in 2005. Its four main members consist of president Leonid Nikolaev - who was arrested at an 'election fraud protest rally' on 5 December - ideologist Oleg Vorotnikov, coordinator Natalia Sokol and her son and Voina's youngest activist, two-year-old Kasper Can't-Take-Our-Eyes-Off-Him Sokol. Part one of an exclusive interview marks their brief history
protest, university, moscow, ideology, best of cafebabel.com, culture, russian federation
Contentious Guéant circular rejects work visas in France
France’s governmental memo on employment for their residing non-European students caused quite a commotion, and we’re not talking Jerry Maguire style. Graduates like Nabil Sebti are taking a stand against what could either turn into a long-term policy of sealing France off or be a strategy to gain votes in 2012 elections
protest, university, racism, education system, immigration, integration, nicolas sarkozy
Romania's stray dogs, souvenirs of a communist past
On 26 July, the European court of human rights criticised Romania’s inability to deal with the stray dogs roaming its streets. Legislation introduced by parliament to allow the euthanasia of the stray dogs has however provoked controversy. How have the strays, known as ‘maïdanezi’, become mired in political debate?
protest, euthanasia, animals, bucarest, romania, human rights, european court of human rights
Indignant Athens: 'get your tax off my ass'
I haven't been on the streets for about twenty years, but I can't stand this anymore. I decided to protest after many years because I cannot bare our politicians’ apathy for people’s problems. They just keep on slamming the taxes on us - and that’s all. If politicians really wanted to find solutions for the country they would. One indignant protestor speaks
protest, greece, athens, youth, andreas papandreou, 'indignant citizens' movement, politics
Unravelling the Zagreb web
Contrary to our expectations of a post-war, post-Yugoslav capital, Zagreb looks like a puffy cream cake. The typical Balkan cliché doesn’t strike the eye right away. It is not for nothing that Croatia is a favorite for membership in the European union, having reached 30 of the 35 'negotiation chapters'. 23 May saw EU enlargement to this potential 28th state going on behind closed Brussels doors, but Zagreb has been producing its own critical tones too. Its ladies go for the 'western model' and its LGBT rights record pips it ahead of its Serbian neighbour. The Balkan idyll is cobbled together despite Croatia's status as having the youngest history of war and existing neighbour policy conflicts. Scratch the surface and this deteriorates. Citizens first raged the streets in February against corruption scandals and a bad economic climate. Changes here happened too quickly and in too short a time for this city to grow 'adult'. Read the articles from our French-German-Serbian-Bulgarian team who report from Croatia's capital in the framework of our special edition, Orient Express Reporter (Image: (cc) lern/ Flickr)
- Read the special edition Unravelling the Zagreb web
- Croatia’s writers and playwrights: no post-war no-hopers
- Is gay OK in catholic Croatia?
- Zagreb’s Miss Independents
- Croatian writer Olja Savicevic: 'We have never lived in a normal society'
- My Zagreb Vitriol: remembering Croatia’s anti-government protests
Shh(it), it’s the Queen: Elizabeth II’s ghost-town visit to Irish Republic
It has been hailed as the culmination of the Anglo-Irish peace process: the first ever visit of a British monarch to the Republic of Ireland on 17 May. But with Dublin’s streets lying empty, and the terrorist threat level in the north classed as ‘severe’, the visit seems like a very expensive exercise in cynicism
protest, northern ireland, monarchy, dublin, england, ira, security
Ukraine, Belarus, Egypt...free the online activist in you
Ukraine’s ‘Day of Wrath’ against its president on 14 May has been organised online. Belarus’ internet is the only escape from regime propaganda. The Arab world reported its transitions online. Amidst these examples, Peter Ludlow, cyber rights activist and philosophy professor at Northwestern University in Illinois, emphasies that politics can be influenced in bottom-up solutions. Interview
protest, activism, iryna vidanava, kiev, minsk, regime, internet
Hungary youth: 'I stay out of politics but am Facebook friends with Viktor Orbán'
The new controversial constitution, the first to be created on an iPad, was voted into law by the national assembly on 18 April and signed by the president on 25 April. Hungary’s youth remain apolitical, even to a new rule which would violate human rights. cafebabel.com Budapest interviewed fifty young Hungarians
protest, fidesz, gay rights, lgbt, discrimination, hungary, youth
Italian women for and against accused Silvio Berlusconi
Whilst the satirical search engine 'Bungle Bungle' publishes videos of a million women protesters supporting the dignity of the female sex, Silvio's supporters protest in front of the law courts, where the Italian prime minister is due to show on 6 April, accused of the exploitation and prostitution of minors
Why are students protesting in Bologna
With cries of 'block everything!', Italian students have been demonstrating for days against the university reforms currently being discussed in parliament. This report is from Bologna, where heated protests have even made headlines in the New York Times
protest, italy, university, research and innovation, precarity, best of cafebabel.com, students
December Belarus elections: protests as absurd as the president
In a bimonthly series, one Frenchwoman in Berlin discusses the latest ludicrousness from Lukashenko land. Post three: the absurd forms of Belarusian protests
protest, civil society, minsk, belarus, alexander lukashenko, politics
by
by
by
