Protests across the globe are growing at a worrisome rate. The right to fight for your beliefs and rights has now become a turning point worldwide where the ordinary citizen is eager to get what it deserves. Protests in Hong Kong have wreaked havoc. Lebanon has also seen its fair share of demonstrations over the course of the last few weeks. Catalonians are forcing the Spanish government to give in to their demands. Where some protests may focus on the removal of the government for its policies, in other places, protests have poured in due to economic collapses. At this point in time, we are seeing enraged citizens crying, fighting and even dying for what they believe in. Lebanon and Iraq are seeing locals pour onto the streets due to the government’s failure to provide them with basic services and they’re all demanding the removal of the political elite. Broken promises, ineffective policies and a future with no success in sight will only result in the outburst of anger unless concrete changes are made.

Turning our focus from the Asian continent, thousands of kilometres away in South America, a similar picture is being painted. Violent demonstrations in Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador have forced international observers to highlight what the problems are. Whenever protests arise, there are many things that need to be discussed. There’s always an underlying issue which is the root of the problem. At times, it may be the government taking certain decisions that may collide with the interests of its people. Sometimes, external factors may also play a huge role. However, the main idea is the lack of facilitation on part of the government. The South American continent has seen just that.

In Bolivia, where President Evo Morales successfully ruled for three terms, saw the end of his rule after weeks-long protests. Morales thought he could get the better of his people but his rush towards securing a fourth term ended in misery after he bowed down to military pressure. What Morales did was try to cover up an election which had failed. He claimed victory before the election could go to a second-round runoff. Morales, the country’s first indigenous President can be credited with bringing more representation to his people, unfolding an economic boom for the country and curbing inflation. We must agree that he brought a change in the living standards of many Bolivians but what really brought the nation to the edge started in 2016. The president at the time tried to abolish presidential limits which signalled his move towards authoritarianism. Morales’ opposition right-wing Carlos Mela asked supporters to take to the streets to deny Morales victory and thus protests began where at least three people were killed and hundreds others injured. In Bolivia, people stood up to make sure they were guaranteed the necessary changes.

Moving to Chile, a country famous for its natural resources, especially copper. It all began when the government decided to increase the fares of public transportation. This initiated a violent order of protests on October 18, where thousands stepped on the streets to not only ask the government to repeal the changes but to also demand for better social services. Chileans are demanding better education, the reduction in income inequality and access to better healthcare. Protesters in the country say that the neoliberal economic model gives more priority to the rich who are able to afford better private education and healthcare, leaving the poor at the edge of crisis. The protests also forced the cancellation of two major international summits which came as a huge blow to the country which has not seen such protests in a long time. They are now asking for the replacement of a constitutional charter which was penned by dictator Pinochet in 1980. This would enable the privatization of many basic utilities which Chileans believe would reduce the disparity between the rich and the poor.

In Ecuador, the lifting of state fuel subsidies prompted violent reaction from the masses. President Moreno, after seeing the anger that fueled within the hearts of protesters, declared an emergency to ensure things would work appropriately. Ecuador has also seen its fair share of disparities and this time what surfaced was the one between the rural areas and cities. The indigenous group CONAIE and its leaders have also given the government an ultimatum to accept their demands which they have been trying to accomplish for a very long time.

The problems in South America, which continue to grow whether they revolve around the economy or the improvement of basic living standards, are those which will take a long time to quell. If leaders decide authoritative measures aren’t a good idea and listening to the citizens is a better choice, not only the economy, the potential future of these states will also be secured.

L'articolo Failure of the Neo-Liberal Economic Model in South America proviene da InsideOver.

Massive demonstrations have hit several countries across the globe in recent months. The prolonged protest against the controversial extradition bill (which was later annulled) in Hong Kong may have inspired the global discontent on governments. Global protests can as a result of several triggers. Below are some of the root causes:

Problematic bills

Hong Kong, one of the world’s leading economic hubs, has been plagued by a series of protests against the controversial extradition bill since June 9. The much-debated draft would allow the extradition of prisoners to some countries, including China.

Pro-democracy activists fear that Beijing will abuse the bill if enacted into a law-to silence its opponents. China had backed the extradition draft, aimed at ensuring Hong Kong will no longer be a criminals’ haven.

The idea of having an extradition bill in the former British colony started when a Hong Kong citizen named Chan Tong-kai admitted that he had killed his pregnant girlfriend whilst visiting Taiwan. As Hong Kong and Taiwan do not have an extradition treaty, Chan could not face trial in Taiwan. He was then sent to jail in Hong Kong, charged with money laundering instead of murder.

Hong Kong has enjoyed more freedom of expression than the mainland. Under the repatriation treaty with Britain, Hong Kong will retain its social and judicial system for the next 50 years.

Last month, Hong Kong Executive Leader Carrie Lam officially withdrew the bill. However, Lam’s decision did not satisfy demonstrators, who considered it too late. Hundreds of protesters and police officers were injured during the demonstrations.

Similar protests also took place in Indonesia mid-September. University students across the archipelago protested against the controversial bill on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) which potentially curtails the power of the anti-corruption commission.

Students and activists also opposed the bill on criminal law (RUUKUHP) which contains articles that can threaten freedom of expression and grant a lighter sentence to graft convicts. Two students in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi were killed in the demonstrations.

A few days after the inauguration of Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, university students took to the street again, demanding the incumbent leader issues a regulation in place of law (Perppu) to retract the already-passed KPK law.

Economy and Inequality Problems

Mass rallies erupted in Iraq in early October, raising the oil-rich country’s main problems ranging from high unemployment to poor public services.

The death toll hit almost 100 on the fifth day of protest (October 6), triggering condemnation from the United Nations (UN) and the country’s rights commission. In the first few days of October, around 157 were killed, as shown by recent government data.

“We deeply regret the number, the large number of people that have been killed in these circumstances,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. 

Despite being the OPEC’s second-biggest oil producer, poverty is still the country’s main problem. The World Bank data showed that one of five Iraqis lives in poverty and youth unemployment stands at 25 per cent.

Corruption is still rampant in Iraq. The Transparency International said that Iraq ranked the 12th world’s most corrupt nation.

Chile has seen the largest rally since the end of the military rule under General Augusto Pinochet in 1990. The country’s massive rally was triggered by a price rise in subway fare.

As of October 24, around 200 had been injured, 15 had died and hundreds had been imprisoned. Despite being the world’s largest copper producer (the peak was 2000-2014 before the growth was stagnant), inequality remains high. According to the OECD, the country’s income gap stood at 65 per cent of the organization’s average figure.

President Sebastian Pinera finally suspended the subway fare hike and reshuffled the cabinet. He also promised to raise pension funds and slash the prices of medicine for the poor.

Ecuadoreans from all walks of life (from students, workers, and indigenous groups) took to the street to protest the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed austerity program which cut the four-decade-long fuel subsidy. Demonstrations paralyzed schools and Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno had to relocate the center of the government from Quito to Guayaquil.

Moreno later cancelled the subsidy cuts, meaning the price of fuel would return to normal. The financial crisis also forced the Lebanese government to impose a tax on chat applications such as Whatsapp and Skype. The policy triggered nationwide opposition. The government later rolled back the tax plan on communication applications. After two weeks of protests, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri resigned from his post-Tuesday (October 29).

Lebanon is suffering from the crisis as its debt reaches $ 86 billion, more than150 per cent of its GDP, the country’s ministry of finance revealed

Climate issue

Greta Thunberg a 16-year-old Swedish student has inspired students to take part in the protest against global warming since she sat in front of the Swedish parliament building a year ago. The girl also gained worldwide attention for her “How dare you?” speech at the UN General Assembly last August, expressing her anger at the world’s leaders.

Students around the globe took part ahead of the high-level debate on climate change at the UNGA. World leaders showed mixed reactions. Some praise youth movement but others criticize those students from skipping classes to voice issues they do not understand. The Australian police arrested more than 40 protesters outside the international mining conference in Melbourne. They blocked the conference’s delegates from entering the venue.

Green activists accused the mining industry of chasing the profit by evicting indigenous communities. Around 700 delegates from 100 countries attended the conference to discuss challenges faced by the mining industry.

Separatism

The independence of the Spanish autonomous region Catalonia has become a live issue again since the global financial crisis in 2008 following the week-long protest in Barcelona.

Protests erupted on October 14 following the imprisonment of nine separatist leaders for their role in the independence bid. Last Saturday (October 26), the pro-independence rally turned violent when demonstrators threw bottles, stones, and balls to anti-riot police officers.

Police then retaliated by firing rubber bullets. At least six were injured during the clash, Reuters reported. Pro-independence activists held an illegal referendum in October 2017. Madrid tried to block it then send separatist leaders to jail.

Those demonstrations forced the classic match between Barcelona and their archrival Real Madrid to be postponed to December.

Catalonia has its different language and culture and is one of Spain’s wealthiest regions. The region contributed 19 per cent of Spain’s GDP in 2016.

Election results

 Riots broke out in Bolivia after the government postponed the vote counting of the election held on Sunday (October 20). The preliminary result showed that the incumbent socialist leader Evo Morales won 47.08 per cent of the vote while his contender Carlos Mesa earned 35.51 per cent.

Opposition groups accused the Morales regime of rigging the election. They are demanding re-election.

Political deadlock

 The United Kingdom (UK) is facing a political crisis following the uncertainty over the departure of Britain from the European Union (EU), known as Brexit. Last weekend, tens of thousands of Britons gathered in London to raise their concern over Brexit. The UK  is scheduled to leave the 28-country bloc on October 31. However, the plan could be delayed to avoid Brexit without an agreement.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly stated that the UK would leave the EU on scheduled whatever happens. However, he is required to propose an extension as the Parliament failed to reach an agreement on Brexit.

L'articolo What Triggers Global Protests? proviene da InsideOver.

A fresh wave of protests rippled through Barcelona over the weekend, bringing spats, skirmishes and flying balls — but not the violence which has plagued the Catalan capital over the past couple of weeks.

The scheduling of back-to-back demonstrations, first by independence supporters and then by their loyalist rivals, had stoked fears of a fresh paroxysm of turmoil in a city which has been on edge ever since nine separatist leaders were jailed on October 14. Many had fretted about a repeat of the riots which engulfed central Barcelona in the days after the sentencing, when pro-independence protests veered out of control.

This time, however, the police were able to maintain control. Two people remain hospitalized after Saturday’s independence demonstration, which culminated in a tense protest outside the Spanish police headquarters, but the demonstrators stopped well short of launching rockets and Molotov cocktails at the Mossos d’Esquadra officers. Instead, they settled for lobbing plastic balls, many of them emblazoned with pro-independence messages. 

Of course, the relative tranquillity of the weekend’s activities hasn’t stopped the two sides from squabbling. Both loyalists and separatists have been at pains to insist they ‘won’ the weekend and that their event attracted superior numbers, as their endless tit-for-tat squabble continues.

The official police figures point to a clear victory for the separatists, whose event attracted 350,000 demonstrators on Saturday afternoon — as opposed to 80,000 for the loyalist event on Sunday morning. The organizers of the pro-Madrid rally claim their attendance numbers have been grossly underestimated as part of the separatist propaganda claim, and in fact 400,000 people turned up to cheer them on. Of course, those behind the independence rally make a similar claim, suggesting their numbers could have been as high as 750,000.

‘A very clear message’

Saturday’s demonstration was essentially a two-part event. First came the main protest, backed by Omnium and the Catalan National Assembly and held on Carrer Marina, a stone’s throw from the Barceloneta beach. Then a more radical demonstration, pushed by the hard-line Democratic Tsunami and Republican Defense Committees, held on Via Laetana, where the Spanish police force is located.

As the sun dipped behind the beachside skyscrapers on Saturday afternoon, a vast crowd gathered in a square dedicated to those who volunteered in the 1992 Olympics, many draping Catalonia’s Estelada flag behind them like a superhero’s cape. They chanted the words “justicia” and “independencia” and sang the Catalan national anthem, Els Segadors (The Reapers), a revolutionary paean which celebrates the Catalan peasants’ revolt of 1640.

After a mass march from central Barcelona had culminated in front of the main stage, speeches were given by a string of Catalan leaders including Marcel Mauri, a spokesman for Omnium — whose president Jordi Cuixart was among those jailed two weeks ago.

Mauri told the crowd that “we believe in a country where fundamental rights can’t be trampled on, where no-one can be convicted of sedition for organizing peaceful protests or putting out ballot boxes, where no-one is arrested or is the victim of police brutality for defending their ideas.” He said he carried a “very clear message to the state institutions: prison, repression and incarceration can’t stop the will of an immense majority of the Catalan people.”

The event carried a clear message: that despite the recent violence, the Catalan independence movement is overwhelmingly peaceful, with no truck for the chaos that has been inflicted on Barcelona by hard-line demonstrators.

One demonstrator, who didn’t want to be named, told InsideOver: “We’ve seen all the violence from the Spanish police — both in the way they handled the 2017 referendum and in the way they’ve responded to the demonstrations over the past couple of weeks. Our way is one of peace. We want to demonstrate, but in a peaceful way.

“Don’t believe what the Spanish media say. They love manipulating the facts. We are here because we want to stand up for democracy and human rights, in a way that is peaceful and constructive.”

However, despite the message of peace, the atmosphere changed markedly when the protest switched to Via Laetana, the street which became a Dantesque dystopia of burning cars and bloodied bodies in the initial post-sentencing backlash.

The event may have been designed to mark a continuation of the afternoon’s rally, but its crowd and atmosphere were now markedly different. The initial protest, thronged with families and elderly people, had been a benign affair by the sea; the evening event, dominated by young protesters wearing scarves to cover their faces, was altogether more fractious. 

Reporters, wary of the simmering tension, wore helmets as they listened to the massed crowd chant about the lying Spanish press — reflecting a widespread belief that the reportage of the recent violence has been nothing more than a smear campaign. 

Eventually, the Mossos d’Esquadra vans arrived, prompting a brief flashpoint as protesters were sent scurrying backwards. Eventually, however, the police were able to create their own no-man’s land around the headquarters and disperse the crowd — something they have singularly failed to do during recent demonstrations.

Carnival atmosphere

In everything but its core message, Sunday’s loyalist gathering bore close resemblance to the initial independence rally. Families packed the iconic Passeig de Gracia boulevard in central Barcelona, waving Spanish flags as well as the banner of the European Union. The streets played host to a red-and-yellow carnival, a celebration of life in a country famed the world over for its exuberance. 

Just like their counterparts on Saturday afternoon, the loyalists who came together on Sunday strived to paint a picture of enlightened moderacy. They sang the national anthem as well as Viva España, and demanded prison for Carles Puigdemont (who, unlike many other separatist leaders, managed to flee before he could be jailed back in 2017). But their message was clear: if you want to blame anyone for the recent bloodshed, it’s not us.

One participant, a butcher from Sabadell, told InsideOver:  “Firstly we don’t want independence and apart from that, [we’re here] for the violence that’s being seen these past few weeks in Barcelona. People can protest, as we’re doing now, but peacefully — not in the violent way that we’ve witnessed.

“A lot of those who don’t want independence stay quiet out of fear. They are scared to say what they think. Really in Catalonia, I’d say 80% of people don’t want independence. 

“Catalonia is a beautiful place, we have good food, good weather, beaches, good hotels, and this is destroying everything.”

To support the local population a significant number of people had come from elsewhere in Spain, carrying messages of support. One of them, a lawyer from Madrid, had taken his entire family on a six-hour trip to Barcelona to, as he told us, “support the Catalan people and tell them that we’re with them.

“We want to show that here there’s not only independence supporters. There’s also a section of the population, a significant majority, who — although you can’t protest in the way we’ve seen the radicals do — want to stay part of Spain.”

More to come

Already, thoughts are turning to the next event. Hardline separatist groups have planned a number of further actions in Barcelona over the next few days, including a strike which is set to bring further disruption to the city. 

Both sides will continue to argue that theirs is the path of reason and moderacy, and that any other interpretation is a complete fabrication by the other side. The sniping will continue in the press and the two factions will keep claiming propaganda victories as they try to outflank one another.

For now, though, Barcelona is approaching something resembling calm. The weekend’s huge protests may have turned into a propaganda battle, but thankfully they didn’t create a real one.

L'articolo Frontline Barcelona: Huge Protests Engulf City proviene da InsideOver.

The city of Barcelona is reeling from a fresh outbreak of violence today (17. Oct) after dozens of cars were set on fire in the latest fallout from the sentencing of 12 separatist politicians.

Protesters hurled acid and molotov cocktails at police as they vented their fury at the Supreme Court’s verdict in a third successive night of turmoil.

Following Tuesday night’s clashes, which had seen protesters set fire to barricades and containers in the Eixample neighbourhood, this time the violence centred on Carrer d’Diputacio, close to the Arc de Triomphe, where Catalonia’s interior ministry is located.

After initially throwing toilet paper and demanding the resignation of interior minister Miquel Buch, who is accused of encouraging police brutality against the demonstrations, protesters reacted violently when officers of the Mossos d’Esquadra attempted to disperse the crowd by firing rubber bullets. As the demonstrators moved away from the scene, they began setting fire to cars and containers and hurling missiles at police.

In total, around 45 cars are thought to have been set on fire, and various reports attest to the use of acid. Eyewitnesses also report demonstrators launching rockets at police helicopters as tensions spiralled out of control.

Week of fury

Barcelona was already in turmoil after two days of clashes, prompted by the Supreme Court’s decision to jail nine pro-independence figureheads for their part in the illegal referendum of 2017. A further three politicians were barred from further political activity.

Hours after the verdict was read out on Monday afternoon, an estimated 8,000 independence supporters flocked to Barcelona’s airport and caused the cancellation of over 100 flights. Then, on Tuesday night, an attempted sit-in that took place outside a Spanish diplomatic building had culminated in protesters setting fire to barricades and containers, a forerunner of last night’s disturbances. Over 100 people have been injured in the two attacks, with reports that several demonstrators have been partially blinded by rubber bullets.

“We’re going ahead”

Despite the controversy, pro-independence groups have insisted they will continue to protest the verdict handed down by Spain’s Supreme Court, suggesting that the Spanish authorities have caused the current crisis by attempting to suppress their democratic rights and handing down heavy jail terms to their figureheads.

A series of five ‘Liberty Marches’ began yesterday at various points across Catalonia, intending to converge on Barcelona Friday and culminate in a general strike, similar to the one which followed the failed independence bid of 2017.

Speaking to InsideOver, Sergi Perello, vice-secretary of the pro-independence CSC union and a key organizer of the protest, said that “the strike will go ahead, because we’ve got nothing to do with what’s happened [this week].”

Perello insists that his strike is not politically motivated, although he admits that his movement is pro-independence and the strike was convened in the wake of Monday’s Supreme Court verdict. He also condemned the actions of the police in suppressing this week’s demonstrations.

Asked if his strike risks stoking further tensions, Perello responded: “Are we supposed to stay at home? We organized this strike three days ago and the reasons are still valid.”

“We’re not responsible for [the fact that] in a strike there are a minority of people who commit violence. The majority have always been peaceful – we don’t have to feel guilty. It will make me very sad if there is violence. Violence is not good for this country [Catalonia] or our objectives.”

“The police must behave within the law.”

“We have the right to protest”

Other separatist leaders have come out in condemnation of this week’s clashes, notably regional president Quim Torra, who had earlier been criticized for encouraging the demonstrations.

Torra, who had urged independence supporters to “squeeze” in the run-up to the Supreme Court verdict and early joined one of the Liberty Marches, told Catalan TV this morning that the violence must stop, adding that “the independence movement condemns and will continue to condemn violence, wherever it comes from.” However, he also blamed “infiltrators and provocateurs” for causing the clashes.

Omnium, the pro-Catalan cultural group which has organized many protests itself, echoed Torra’s condemnation in an interview with InsideOver — but said the protests must continue.

“As always, we’re only going to lend our support to protests and actions that are peaceful,” an Omnium spokesperson told us. “Any action that is violent doesn’t represent us”.

“[However] we are in favour of the actions brought forward by Omnium and the Catalan National Assembly [another pro-independence movement]. The right to protest is a right guaranteed by the Spanish constitution”.

“Faced by the imprisonment of democratic leaders, we won’t renounce our right to protest. But we will, as always, appeal to all protesters that they remain pacifist, civil and exemplary. We’re a pacifist movement by definition.”

“This has gone far enough”

However many people in Barcelona believe it’s time to stop the protests – for everyone’s sake.

A spokesperson for the Catalan Civil Society, a loyalist movement which purports to repair relations between Barcelona and Madrid, told InsideOver: “It seems very sad to me that the Catalan Government and President Torra are manipulating all of us in Catalonia. What Torra has done is outrageous.

“The violence we saw today and the day before yesterday has crossed a red line in terms of freedom of expression and freedom of speech, really there are people who are taking advantage of the situation. 

“We call on those people, and Torra, to stop the pro-independence process and stop inciting violence, because it’s not going anywhere. They have to take all Catalans into account, regardless of whether they support independence.

“As an organization, we want to appeal to the spirit of existence. This violence has gone far enough now.”

L'articolo Barcelona continues to burn – but separatists vow to press on proviene da InsideOver.