Map of Current Major Protests
Countries currently looking to oust or reform their regimes:
(from left to right)-Morocco
-Algeria
-Libya
-Albania
-Lebanon
-Jordan
-Syria
-Yemen
-Bahrain (small island country)
-Iran
(with more minor protests [which could turn major quite soon] occurring in [left to right] Mauritania, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Somalia, Kuwait, & Oman)
Since protests started in Tunisia (resulting in ousting of President Ben Ali on Jan. 14, 2011), and later Egypt (resulting in ousting of President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11, 2011) there have been protests rippling through the Middle East and North Africa, but since the ousting of regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, protests have truly erupted throughout the region with sustained campaigns involving strikes, demonstrations, marches and rallies
This eruption has been especially pushed on through:
-The uniting power of social media (which both protesters and government supporters now utilize) [CBS: The Role of Social Media]
-The aggressive coverage of the Quatar-based satellite news channel, Al Jazeera [NY Times: The Role of Al Jazeera]
-With both contributing to the overall climate of widespread protests which has emboldened protesters
[Slideshow - Scenes From The Middle East Protests 2011]
[U.S. Closely Monitoring Middle East]
It's tough to keep the information straight so we will do a quick breakdown of the major protests in the region...
(from left to right on map) (most pressing and violent current protests as of 2/23 see: Libya, Yemen, Bahrain)
[refer to chart on very bottom for breakdown of social indicators- if interested]
Morocco
King: Mohammed VI (in power since 1999) - his rule is not being threatened, as protests are mainly targeting parliament, but protesters are also calling for a reining in of royal power
 |
| King Mohammed VI |
-Protests truly started Feb. 20th
News: Before Feb. 20th, there were events which threatened protests, as a few individuals performed self-immolation, or setting one's self on fire, in the way of Mohamed Bouazazi, the Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire [Story Here] which originally sparked protests in Tunisia - self-immolation has been used by protesters since, on occasion, to spark protests throughout the Middle East) Feb. 20th was the first mass organized protest and since then protests have been relatively peaceful, though there have been casualties in scattered violence
[Full Analysis of Morocco Protests]
 |
| Abdelaziz Bouteflika |
President: Abdelaziz Bouteflika (in power since 1999) - Protesters want him out
Causes cited: high unemployment, lack of housing, food-price inflation, corruption, restrictions on freedom of speech, poor living conditions
-These pro-democracy protests that have been taking place for some time but have gotten more serious from January onwards
News: There have been violent protests and police action [Video], but recently the Government has lifted the [state of emergency ban] which had prevented peaceful protest- protests have been more peaceful since
 |
| Muammar al-Gaddafi |
Head of State: Muammar al-Gaddafi (in power since 1969) - Protesters want him out
Causes cited: High unemployment, political corruption, huge gap between the rich and poor
-Protests have been going on since February 15, 2011 and have grown extremely violent
News: Protests started February 15th [Video], and it has been blood shed since (233 dead as of 2/20, [According to HRW]) with severe police action, Gadaffi refusing to resign, and his calling for his supporters to kill his dissenters [Gaddafi's World Address Video]
[Full Breakdown]
 |
| Sali Barisha & Edi Rama |
Prime Minister: Sali Barisha (leader of Democratic Party of Albania) - protesters are against the political corruption - protests are currently directed at Barisha and are largely led on by main opposition leader Edi Rama (leader of Socialist Party of Albania) who has been disputing the validity of the previous elections
Causes cited: Long suffered Political corruption and lack of government transparency
News: Jan. 21st 2011 clashes broke out in front of a government building in which three people were killed, and there's fear protests will grow more violent
[Time: Albania Protests]
 |
| Najib Mikatithe & Saad Hariri |
News: Protests began after nomination announcements, as their Day of Rage [Pictures] and have continued, there were also protests coinciding with Egypt's revolt in displays of solidarity [LA Times: Lebanon Protest Coverage]
 |
| King Abdullah II |
King: Abdullah II (in power since 1999, a key U.S. ally - his rule is not being threatened, but protesters are calling for him to give up some of his powers)
Causes cited: political corruption, struggling economy - high unemployment, high inflation, rampant poverty
News: The King ousted an accused corrupt prime minister, Samir Rifai, who protesters, led by the largest Jordan opposition group- Muslim Brotherhood- wanted out [Story Here], since then some protests have turned violent [Story Here], but more serious turmoil is unlikely as protests have been headed by a number of different groups - there is not a single movement
 |
| Bashar Al-Assad |
Causes cited: Call for reform to government - poverty, unemployment, corruption
-Protests have been going on since January 26th (The day Hasan Ali Akleh set himself on fire in the way of Mohamed Bouazazi)
News: Since Jan. 26th, there have been protests but the government has squelched most attempts - keeping a firm control on the media, imprisoning protest leaders - protests have continued, but have not gained enough momentum [Story Here]
Yemen
 |
| Ali Abdullah Saleh |
-Protests started in January, after the initial Tunisia protests, and have been ongoing
News: Protests have been escalating, with the 'Day of Rage' occurring on Feb 3rd [Video], Saleh has pledged to to step down in 2013 (though he has done this before and retracted), his supporters have fought against the protesters, which could lead to a possible civil war if it continues to escalate
[Reuters: Full Analysis] [Yemen Protest Pictures]
 |
| Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa |
King: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (in power since 2002) - protests have escalated from calls for reform to now also wanting Khalifa out of power
Causes Cited: initially for greater political freedom and equality for the Shi'ite population (second largest denomination of Islam after Sunni) - Shi'ites are the majority in Bahrain, but Sunnis have been given preferential treatment to increase Sunni percentages, and Shi'ites have been blocked from serving in important political and military posts - it has since expanded in the way of some protesters calling for an end to the monarchy
-Protests started in mid-February and have been ongoing
News: Calm protests started in mid-February, and have since grown more violent with police attacks and government supporters also fighting back
[Reuters: Full Analysis] [Bahrain Protest Photos]
 |
| Mahmoud Ahmadinejad & Mir Hossein Moussavi |
President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (in power since 2005)
Causes Cited: A continuation of 2009-2010 election protests in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reelected in an election riddled with accusations of electoral fraud, led by runner-up candidate, Mir Hossein Moussavi and his supporters [Initial Coverage Here], and it has since been influenced by other protests in the region
-Iran protests in 2011 started Feb. 14
News: Protests initially started as solidarity protests with Tunisia and Egypt, but turned anti-government quickly - protests have been cracked down on with threats, mass arrests, and a large police presence, along with restrictive media control - Moussavi, the opposition leader, has been placed on house arrest during the protests [Story Here]
[Reuters: More Complete Initial Coverage]
[If Interested]
(not listed on chart)
Albania - (Pop: 2m, MA: 28.9 years, Jobless: 12.7% [Youth unemployment could be as high as 30%], BPL%: 25%, IU: 1.3m)
Bahrain - (Pop: 1.2m, MA: 30.4 years, Jobless: 15%, BPL%: NA%, IU: .65m)
Iran - (Pop: 76.9m, MA: 26.4 years, Jobless: 14.6%, BPL%: 18%, IU: 23m)
No comments:
Post a Comment