Photo Credit: Anti-government protesters shout slogans in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019. Tens of thousands of Lebanese protesters of all ages gathered Sunday in major cities and towns nationwide, with each hour bringing hundreds more people to the streets for the largest anti-government protests yet in four days of demonstrations. HASSAN AMMAR / AP PHOTO
Remarkable synopsis from Oct. 2019. But first a note from Matthew Ward:
“It is immensely heartening that most of you are seeing the positive perspective of situations that the media are reporting with bleak overtones, such as the potential economic meltdown in the ‘Eurozone’ and the global boomerang effect, upheaval in several governments creating national instability, and citizens protesting intolerable circumstances in one country after another.
“You see those and other tumultuous situations for what they are: essential steps toward initiating systems that are based in fairness and honesty and having leaders with moral and spiritual integrity.” (Matthew’s Message, June 3, 2012.)
Mass Protests Erupt Around the World. What Are People Striving For?
Nonviolence News, Oct. 27, 2019
Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun
This week’s Nonviolence News is full of success stories . . . and stories to learn from. Lebanon’s “rave as revolution” protests have forced ministers to resign, major reforms to be passed, looted funds to be returned, and more.
Meanwhile, in Chile, protests were met with violent repression and the president of Chile stated that “we are at war” as miners and dockworkers launch a national strike. Protesters in Iraq, Catalan, Sudan, and Bolivia are also struggling for rights, freedoms, and changes of regimes.
Beyond the headlines, check out the “Knowledge and Reflection” section where articles are delving into important questions such as: what makes protest effective? Do today’s global protests have anything in common? How are the youth movements organizing? (And so much more.)
Enjoy this week’s news,
Rivera Sun, Editor
Here are some recent successes brought about by nonviolence in action.
50,000 protesters kept a pristine ocean area in Brazil safe from oil and gas exploration, after the government failed to auction four blocks affecting Abrolhos National Park. Oil executives admitted they did not make any offers because of pressure from environmental activists. Read more
In a huge win, the Swedish government decided last week to deny the EU-backed Gothenburg gas terminal its final permit on climate grounds. Read this inspiring letter from Fossilgasfällan, the local group that made it happen with years of resistance and a hundreds-strong blockade in September. Read more
In Lebanon, four ministers resigned after tens of thousands took to the streets for three days of protests across the country against tax increases and alleged official corruption. Read more
Also, after the mass demonstrations in Lebanon, the prime minister announced reforms including return of looted funds. Read more
He also acknowledged that the protests drove those reforms, shook up all the parties, and could be a continued force for change. He did not resign, however, which was one of the demands of the movement. Read more
About 1,000 Australian engineers and 90 organizations – including large firms and respected industry figures who have worked with fossil fuel companies – have signed a declaration to cut ties with fossil fuels projects. Read more
Princeton Seminary will pay $27 million in reparations. Read more
ACLU squelches South Dakota’s unconstitutional “riot-boosting” laws that were passed to criminalize pipeline protest. Read more
In London, hundreds of thousands demand another chance to vote on Brexit. The massive protest was held as lawmakers voted to ask the EU for a Brexit delay. Read more
Last minute legislative attempts were thwarted, allowing Northern Ireland to allow same-sex marriage and abortion rights. Read more
Big union victory in anti-union Texas: minimum wage workers, including contract workers, in Houston show us all the path to winning wage hikes. Read more
In Greensboro, NC, the city council approved $500,000 for a Cure Violence program. Read more
The largest demonstration in Chilean history occurred today as drivers clogged the roads demanding the resignation of the president and economic and political reform. Read more
Read about how Chilean dockworkers and miners initiated the national strike after the Chilean military killed 11 protesters. Read more The organizing was so widespread that Chilean mines faced work stoppages as workers joined mass protests. Read more Here’s an eyewitness account of the start of the Chilean metro protests. Read more
In Iraq, the death toll rises and nearly 1,000 people have been injured in the mass protests. Read more
What’s going on with the new wave of protests across the Middle East? Read more
Bolivian presidential election goes from the ballot to the streets as people mobilize to defend the vote against opposition violence.
Read more
Tens of thousands of Sudanese demonstrated in Khartoum and other cities to call for the former ruling party to be dissolved and for ex-officials to be put on trial. Read more
Stirrings of basic change accompany protests in Haiti. Read more
Teen Vogue Take informs young workers of their rights. Read more
Palestine lecture proceeds as Milan students stand up to Zionist attempt to block it. Read more
Editor’s Note: Here’s an example of nonviolent action done for a cause I do not support. It’s useful to notice how your opposition is using these tool, too. US Republican Party legislators stormed the closed hearing rooms taking testimony for Presidential impeachment, held a sit-in and even ordered pizza. Read more
Chicago teachers and affiliated union go on strike for radical demands including ending homelessness and affordable housing. Read more
Burgerville Workers Union — the first officially recognized fast food workers union in the United States prepares to go on strike. Read more
Editor’s Note: Catalan has an independence movement. After major protests 18 months ago, the arrested leaders were tried by Spain. The sentencing set off more mass protests. Here are some of those stories:
Picnics X Republica offers Catalans an unusual training option: the “picnic” training. The resource site offers tools for conducting public nonviolent trainings. Read more
Tsunami Democratic was formed at end of September and was immediately endorsed by the Catalan President in exile. It has an app that guides people to mobilize and disperse like water as needed. Read more
Extinction Rebellion’s car-free streets protests show the possibility of a beautiful, safe, and green future. Read more
Extinction Rebellion faces backlash over ‘self-defeating’ disruption of London Public Transit. This article explores the problems and opportunities of decentralization and autonomous action. Read more
What do Sweden and Pennsylvania have in common this week? They have both introduced ground-breaking legislation to guarantee the Rights of Nature. Read more about Sweden’s legislation Read more about Pennsylvania’s work
Going intersectional, Extinction Rebellion-Peace links carbon crisis to militarism. Read more
Women’s rights groups staged rallies all over Croatia demanding “Justice for Girls”. Read more
In Kyrgyzstan, lone voices push back against the epidemic of sexual violence. Read more
Women’s participation affects the success of nonviolent campaigns. Read more
The Institute for Policy Studies has released its Poor People’s Moral Budget, identifying ways to cut $300 billion from the military budget. Read more
Exploring Zones of Peace, local peacebuilding, and civil resistance in West African countries. Read more
In just a few hours over 475 musicians pledged “No Music for ICE!” to withhold services from Amazon until Amazon Web Services quits providing data to fuel ICE’s ’s human rights abuses. Read this open letter from musicians to Amazon.
Lebanon’s protests are wildly creative. They’ve been called “rave meets revolution” and include brides, beats, and Baby Shark songs. Read more
Building a solidarity economy in Jackson, Mississippi. Read more
Last Monday morning, a coalition of newspapers in Australia presented fully-redacted front pages as Australia media, writers and unions united to demand press freedoms, freedom of information, and safety for whistleblowers. #YourRightToKnow Read more
How the Youth Climate Movement turns political words into political will. Read more
Defining constructive resistance: what does it mean when people start to build the society they desire independently of structures of power? Read more
Learn more about the surprising and courageous forms of nonviolent resistance against jihadist proto-states. Read more
What makes protest effective? Read more
New podcast series explores youth organizing. Read more
Do today’s global protests have anything in common? Read more
“Imagine you’re in a country in which democracy is under attack. A few years ago a demagogue won an election, packed his administration with loyal supporters, and they’ve broken norms and expectations of governance ever since.” What country is this? Read more
Twitter users are 176 times more likely to advocate moving from big banks to credit unions than the reverse. What can we learn about this for our own organizing work? Read more
University of Massachusetts at Amherst Resistance Studies Initiative presents Mandy Carter talk: Why Are Intersectional Resistance Alliances So Difficult to Build? Examples From Our LGBTQ+ Movement; Are We About Justice or Just Us? Watch video here>>
Join #FireDrillFridays with Jane Fonda in Washington, DC, to oppose militarism and the climate crisis. Read more
Flight Free Movement expands to the United States. Find out how to participate in large and small ways. Read more
Boycott PUMA sportsware! Over 200 Palestinian teams and athletes are calling for a boycott of PUMA because the sportsware company is the largest sponsor of the Israeli Football Association (IFA). The IFA is in breach of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) regulations which prohibit member associations from holding competitions on occupied territory without permission. Find out more and sign up for action here.
Support Extinction Rebellion’s legal defense fund for arrested activists. Read more
Sunrise Movement offers chance to get skills to make your next strike, rally, or sit-in visually stunning and ready to capture attention in the media. Apply to join the Sunrise Action Art Skills Training, December 13-15 in Kansas City, Missouri. Read more
Feb 3-7, 2020, Black Lives Matter At School Week – engage your local school in participating! Read more
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Nonviolence News is a sister project to Nonviolence Now. The Nonviolence Now campaign is intended to introduce and share stories of nonviolence, and to ignite the potential of principled nonviolence globally.
Author/Activist Rivera Sun has written many books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between. She is a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent movements and her essays are published in journals across the country and around the world. www.riverasun.com