protest Archives - Page 43 of 73 - Index on Censorship

Syria: forces storm Hama ahead of Ramadan

Syrian forces stormed the opposition stronghold of Hama on Sunday, in a bid to crush demonstrations before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. By this morning (1 August), the death toll had been reported to have reached 84. The head of the political department of the Syrian army, Lieutenant General Riad Haddad, called the attacks on some cities an “indispensable necessity” to defend and protect the country. With Friday prayers having been a major rallying point for protests, more frequent visits to mosques during Ramadan might raise the potential for more regular demonstrations. But the weekend’s crackdown may well spur more protests and widespread violence during the holy period. Meanwhile, foreign journalists remain banned from Syria, leaving much reporting in the hands of activists and citizen journalists, who face considerable risk.

China: journalist detained, beaten after reporting riots

Translated screenshots from journalist Lu Chaoguo’s Tencent microblog account reveal his detention and mistreatment by police after reporting on recent riots in Anshun, Guizhou province. The riots were sparked by a “city management” official beating to death a handicapped fruit seller.

Bangladesh: Anti-government protesters arrested in second general strike this month

At least 50 anti-government protesters were jailed in Bangladesh yesterday after the authorities broke up the second general strike staged this month. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Islamic fundamentalist group, Jamaat-e-Islami, are oppposing the planned abolition of a law which requires the government to hand over power to a neutral party for polling once their administration is over. Protesters observing the 36-hour strike have been jailed for up to a month for “creating public disturbance” in the capital, Dhaka.