Global protest grows as citizens lose faith in politics and the state

[CaseyJones]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/22/urban-protest-changing-global-social-network


The demonstrations in Brazil began after a small rise in bus fares triggered mass protests. Within days this had become a nationwide movement whose concerns had spread far beyond fares: more than a million people were on the streets shouting about everything from corruption to the cost of living to the amount of money being spent on the World Cup.

In Turkey, it was a similar story. A protest over the future of a city park in Istanbul – violently disrupted by police – snowballed too into something bigger, a wider-ranging political confrontation with prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has scarcely been brought to a close by last weekend's clearing of Gezi Park.

If the recent scenes have seemed familiar, it is because they shared common features: viral, loosely organised with fractured messages and mostly taking place in urban public locations.

[CaseyJones]

bump

[Origanalist]

Brazil: 150K protest against govt corruption
AP News | Jun 22, 2013

http://media.townhall.com/townhall/reu/ha/2013/172/47d28f0b-d9dd-479e-88cb-d40a7964f064.jpg

SAO PAULO (AP) — About 150,000 anti-government demonstrators again took to streets in several Brazilian cities Saturday and engaged police in some isolated, intense conflicts. Anger over political corruption emerged as the unifying issue for the demonstrators, who vowed to stay in the streets until concrete steps are taken to reform the political system.

Across Brazil, protesters gathered to denounce legislation, known as PEC 37, that would limit the power of federal prosecutors to investigate crimes — which many fear would hinder attempts to jail corrupt politicians.

Federal prosecutors were behind the investigation into the biggest corruption case in Brazil's history, the so-called "mensalao" cash-for-votes scheme that came to light in 2005 and involved top aides of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva buying off members of congress to vote for their legislation.

Last year, the supreme court condemned two dozen people in connection to the case, which was hailed as a watershed moment in Brazil's fight against corruption. However, those condemned have yet to be jailed because of appeals, a delay that has enraged Brazilians.

The protests continued despite a prime-time speech the night before from President Dilma Rousseff, a former leftist guerrilla who was tortured during Brazil's military dictatorship. She tried to appease demonstrators by reiterating that peaceful protests were a welcome, democratic action and emphasizing that she would not condone corruption in her government.

"Dilma is underestimating the resolve of the people on the corruption issue," said Mayara Fernandes, a medical student who took part in a march Saturday in Sao Paulo. "She talked and talked and said nothing. Nobody can take the corruption of this country anymore."

The wave of protests began as opposition to transportation fare hikes, then became a laundry list of causes including anger at high taxes, poor services and high World Cup spending, before coalescing around the issue of rampant government corruption. They have become the largest public demonstrations Latin America's biggest nation has seen in two decades.

Across Brazil, police estimated that about 60,000 demonstrators gathered in a central square in the city of Belo Horizonte, 30,000 shut down a main business avenue in Sao Paulo, and another 30,000 gathered in the city in southern Brazil where a nightclub fire killed over 240 mostly university students, deaths many argued could have been avoided with better government oversight of fire laws. Thousands more protested in dozens of Brazilian cities.

In Belo Horizonte, police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who tried to pass through a barrier and hurled rocks at a car dealership. Salvador also saw protests turn violent.

During her pre-recorded TV speech, Rousseff promised that she would always battle corruption and that she would meet with peaceful protesters, governors and the mayors of big cities to create a national plan to improve urban transportation and use oil royalties for investments in education.

Many Brazilians, shocked by a week of protests and violence, hoped that Rousseff's words after several days of silence from the leader would soothe tensions and help avoid more violence, but not all were convinced by her promises of action.

Victoria Villela, a 21-year-old university who joined the crowd, said she was "frustrated and exhausted by the endless corruption of our government."

"It was good Dilma spoke, but this movement has moved too far, there was not much she could really say. All my friends were talking on Facebook about how she said nothing that satisfied them. I think the protests are going to continue for a long time and the crowds will still be huge."

Around her, fathers held young boys aloft on their shoulders, older women gathered in clusters with their faces bearing yellow and green stripes, the colors of Brazil's flag.

In the northeastern city of Salvador, where Brazil's national football team played Italy and won 4-2 in a Confederations Cup match, some 5,000 protesters gathered about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the stadium, shouting demands for better schools and transportation and denouncing heavy spending on next year's World Cup.

They blocked a main road and clashed with riot police who moved in to clear the street. Protesters said police used rubber bullets and even tossed tear gas canisters from a helicopter hovering overhead. The protesters scattered and fled to a nearby shopping mall, where they tried to take shelter in an underground parking garage.

"We sat down and the police came and asked us to free up one lane for traffic. As we were organizing our group to do just that, the police lost their patience and began to shoot at us and throw (tear gas) canisters," said Rodrigo Dorado.

That was exactly the type of conflict Rousseff said needed to end, not just so Brazilians could begin a peaceful national discussion about corruption but because much of the violence is taking place in cities hosting foreign tourists attending the Confederations Cup.

Brazil's news media, which had blasted Rousseff in recent days for her lack of response to the protests, seemed largely unimpressed with her careful speech, but noted the difficult situation facing a government trying to understand a mass movement with no central leaders and a flood of demands.

With "no objective information about the nature of the organization of the protests," wrote Igor Gielow in a column for Brazil's biggest newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo, "Dilma resorted to an innocuous speech to cool down spirits."

At its height, some 1 million anti-government demonstrators took to the streets nationwide on Thursday night with grievances ranging from public services to the billions of dollars spent preparing for international sports events.

Outside the stadium in Belo Horizonte where Mexico and Japan met in a Confederations Cup game, Dadiana Gamaleliel, a 32-year-old physiotherapist, held up a banner that read: "Not against the games, in favor of the nation."

"I am protesting on behalf of the whole nation because this must be a nation where people have a voice ... we don't have a voice anymore," she said.

She said Rousseff's speech wouldn't "change anything."

"She spoke in a general way and didn't say what she would do," she said. "We will continue this until we are heard."
http://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2013/06/22/brazil-thousands-protest-anew-but-crowds-smaller-n1625136

[CaseyJones]

I personally find the Standing protest in Turkey to be just beautiful

[Origanalist]

It seems to me that a lot of these protests are happening because people are mad the government isn't doing a good enough job of taking care of them.

[Origanalist]

I personally find the Standing protest in Turkey to be just beautiful

I was just going to ask, what are the protests centered around in Turkey?

[CaseyJones]

It seems to me that a lot of these protests are happening because people are mad the government isn't doing a good enough job of taking care of them.

I don't agree it seems more like they want their governments to leave them alone

[CaseyJones]

I was just going to ask, what are the protests centered around in Turkey?

anti authoritarianism it seems

[Petar]

It's like the South American version of #occupy. Just like my buddy in Sao Paulo says. I'm scheduled to fly over there as soon as my passport comes in.

[CaseyJones]

It's like the South American version of #occupy. Just like my buddy in Sao Paulo says. I'm scheduled to fly over there as soon as my passport comes in.

the Brazilian posting in the other threads refutes your claims

[Origanalist]

anti authoritarianism it seems

After reading more about it that sounds right. I'm not so sure about Brazil though.

[Petar]

the Brazilian posting in the other threads refutes your claims

Ok. Well I hope that it really does consist of 1 million rampaging libertarians in that case.

[phill4paul]

When will this come to America? What will be the spark?

[Origanalist]

When will this come to America? What will be the spark?

Cable tv goes down?

[Origanalist]

Bulgaria’s president ‘proud’ of anti-government protesters

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said he was ‘proud’ of the demonstrators that have been lining the streets of Sofia during more than a week of anti-government rallies.

Plevneliev said: “Bulgaria can be proud of this good-natured, democratic protest, which delivers a message to the politicians.”

Thousands of Bulgarians have calling for more transparency and less corruption from their government during eight days of mainly peaceful demonstrations.

Bulgaria’s Socialist-led coalition, headed by Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, has been in power for three weeks.

One demonstrator said: “I’m here to protest against what’s happening in Bulgaria. The governments and parties may change – but the one mafia behind all of them never changes.”

Another activist said the country is on the brink, warning: “Bulgaria’s in a revolutionary situation now and those in power should consider this well. If they don’t change, the country could go up in flames.”

The unrest was sparked by the government’s appointment of powerful media figure, Delyan Peevski, as the country’s national security chief. The decision was later reversed, but the u-turn did little to quell public anger.
http://www.euronews.com/2013/06/21/bulgaria-s-president-proud-of-anti-government-protesters/

[CaseyJones]

Bulgaria’s president ‘proud’ of anti-government protesters

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said he was ‘proud’ of the demonstrators that have been lining the streets of Sofia during more than a week of anti-government rallies.

Plevneliev said: “Bulgaria can be proud of this good-natured, democratic protest, which delivers a message to the politicians.”

Thousands of Bulgarians have calling for more transparency and less corruption from their government during eight days of mainly peaceful demonstrations.

Bulgaria’s Socialist-led coalition, headed by Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, has been in power for three weeks.

One demonstrator said: “I’m here to protest against what’s happening in Bulgaria. The governments and parties may change – but the one mafia behind all of them never changes.”

Another activist said the country is on the brink, warning: “Bulgaria’s in a revolutionary situation now and those in power should consider this well. If they don’t change, the country could go up in flames.”

The unrest was sparked by the government’s appointment of powerful media figure, Delyan Peevski, as the country’s national security chief. The decision was later reversed, but the u-turn did little to quell public anger.
http://www.euronews.com/2013/06/21/bulgaria-s-president-proud-of-anti-government-protesters/

:)

[Origanalist]

:)

I liked the sound of that too.

[Origanalist]

Bulgarian man sets himself alight outside president’s offices :eek:

Video at both of the Bulgaria posts

A 51-year-old man is in a critical condition after becoming the fourth in Bulgaria to set himself on fire in public in recent weeks.

He did so outside the president’s offices as a new interim government was appointed.

His reasons are not clear, but at least one protest movement is making a link with anger at poverty and corruption.

http://www.euronews.com/2013/03/14/bulgarian-man-sets-himself-alight-outside-president-s-offices

[DamianTV]

Cable tv goes down?

When peoples Govt Benefits get cut. Like welfare, Social Security, Food Stamps, etc.

---

People are also slowly waking up to the fact that there really is no more actual States, only People Farms that bear the same name is their previous States or Countries. Those People Farms are ALL controlled by Criminal Corporations who maintain the Illusion of Choice by creating divisions of their Corporations the same as the previous names of their Branches of Govt. So who are all these Corporations? The very Banks that have been screwing over People since their inception, and the very enemy that Govts are supposed to protect us from.

USA Inc.
Brazil Inc.
U.K. Inc.
USSR Inc.
China Inc.
Hong Kong Inc.
New Zealand Inc.
Iceland Inc.
Denmark Inc.

What we see around us today is only the empty shells of history. We buy and sell things not with actual cash or currency, but the Ghost of Money. We see the Ghosts of Governments with actors playing the parts of Presidents and Congressmen to maintain the Illusion of Choice. There are still borders, but they are merely borders between People Farms. People that are bought and sold and harvested. People are the Disposable Product of Corporations. The true creators of wealth (which is products and services) are not compensated for what they create or services they perform.

The entire thing is a Powder Keg with a thousand different fuses, each one capable of setting the whole thing off. We just dont have access to light very many of those fuses, but the powers that be are ready and most likely planning on lighting the ones that give them the most control over their Human Livestock.

[green73]

When will this come to America?

No shit. Long overdue.

[DamianTV]

No shit. Long overdue.

And when we finally do, we will fully realize the true dangers of Govts turning on its citizens. The US Govt will use EVERY shred of technology that has ever been created to destroy any who oppose the Govts actions, even if that requires the death of every single person on this planet not part of the Status Quo.

[AngryCanadian]

No shit. Long overdue.


Both parties have failed the American people as they did elsewhere this whole nation that an Two state party system is democratic is rather laughable.

[Working Poor]

And when we finally do, we will fully realize the true dangers of Govts turning on its citizens. The US Govt will use EVERY shred of technology that has ever been created to destroy any who oppose the Govts actions, even if that requires the death of every single person on this planet not part of the Status Quo.

You are right I think. I hope we can maintain no matter what happens.

[HOLLYWOOD]

The internet sure did reveal the wranglings on the fraud of government.

Additionally, the WWW has united DIFFERENT groups together, opposed to these theft and fraud scams of government, who's brutality does not discriminate... oppression of all people, whether it's a; democracy, parliamentary, communist politburo, fascist state, republic or Zionist controlled.

Looking at the US, with less than 5% or the world's population, yet over 25% of the world's prison population... invading, bombing, destroying, overthrowing around the world, one should send a red flag up everyone's pole.

[Carson]

Lots of people gathering around the globe but the only place I see any real coverage is on the Russian Today news channel.