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https://theconversation.com/if-we-burn-then-what-a-new-book-asks-why-a-decade-of-mass-protest-has-done-so-little-to-change-things-221116>
"
If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution – Vincent
Bevins (Hachette)
In 2010, in response to ongoing ill-treatment by police, a fruit vendor
performed an act of self-immolation in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. This set off an
uprising that led to the removal of dictator Ben Ali and a process to rewrite
the constitution in a democratic direction.
Inspired by this, huge demonstrations against police brutality erupted in
Egypt, centred in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the protesters calling for the removal
of the country’s president, Hosni Mubarak.
These events catalysed what Vincent Bevins calls the “mass protest decade”. The
years from 2010 to 2020 saw a record number of protests around the world
seeking to transform societies in broadly progressive ways. Many groups were
inspired by democratic ideals.
These protests were truly global. Those in Tunisia and Egypt became part of the
wider uprising that came to be called the “Arab Spring”.
In 2013, the
Movimento Passe Livre (MPL) or “Free Fare Movement” led to mass
protests in Brazil. Initially directed against rises in transport fares, they
rapidly expanded to include an unwieldy and contradictory set of groups and
grievances.
Many other protests sprang up, including Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests in
2014, dubbed the “umbrella movement” in their first phase by the global press."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
