Damn picking up steam!
I heard there were counter protesters but they were like a couple hundred people lol.
I’m becoming kind of hopeful they can actually get this done. There is the Russia card but AFAIK these protesters aren’t calling to join the EU or become more western so I don’t really see why Putin would get involved.
https://mobile.twitter.com/TadeuszGiczan/status/1295273367092830210
https://mobile.twitter.com/TadeuszGiczan/status/1295275903832948736
https://mobile.twitter.com/TadeuszGiczan/status/1295316645695705090
I guess Putins ordering his minions to speak now…
https://mobile.twitter.com/DominicRaab/status/1295254880790237191
https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1295696019313823745?s=20
https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1295736207201140738?s=20
For fans of comparative revolutioning then Malians have been in the streets of Bamako since early June trying to throw out their President. Part of their complaints are that election results, that followed opposition politicians being arrested, were mysteriously boosted in his favour after initial counts. Even according to the government tens of protestors have been killed in the streets.
Today soldiers drove to the capital, were welcomed by crowds and then went on to arrest the President, the PM and other members of the government. Obviously prima facie tough to say if that’s good or bad, but the opposition movement that the protestors have seemed happy to have speak for them has welcomed the move as part of their protests:
And this was the scene earlier:
https://twitter.com/JourDuMali/status/1295756778718855168
Obviously, like Belarus, developments to get this clown out have been welcomed.
Oh, sorry, no—the US & France have both called for the President to be released, the soldiers to go back to barracks, all ‘non-constitutional’ changes of government to be condemned, and told all involved that the mediation process lead by ex Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan (already rejected by protestors weeks ago after it did the sum total of fuck all) should be followed.
My advice to the Malians is find a Putin angle, gotta box clever.
Military coups are really the only way of getting rid of corrupt leaders who refuse to leave office (as the US might discover).
When I was in Nigeria for a while in the early 80s there was a coup that was very popular with Nigerians because they were sick and tired of the epic scale of corruption among their leaders (not cash for questions, but private jets for favours).
After a few months of seeing military justice play out in front of their eyes with pubic hangings outside school gates, public opinion quickly shifted and in the words of one of my dad’s Nigerian colleagues “bring back the politicians - they were totally corrupt but at least they weren’t insane”.
Let’s see what happens.
There’s a big difference between rigging your own election vs (allegedly) rigging other elections. Obviously both are very seriously wrong, but it’s a lot easier to justify military intervention against someone who didn’t actually secure a democratic mandate to govern (because they cheated) vs someone who did, but then did crimes. Also it seems bad if the coup leaders take over the government rather than letting it fall to the opposition.
Yeah, in both Mali and Belarus I have no real insight as to whether developments are good or bad, ‘justified’ or not and then to what extent normal people are influencing or pleased with what’s happening. My attempted point was mostly about the coverage. Belarus is approved so we get told mostly about the protests, the opposition leader is just assumed to be a popular figurehead and the politics are largely ignored. Mali is not so most of the stories I’ve read today don’t even really mention the protests that have been ongoing for months, and that, if you believe what the spokespeople are saying, the coup was part of. It’s just generic African coup time.
Guess I should add that I don’t think the alleged crimes of election manipulation play the slightest role in determining whether regime change is seen as positive or not.
Unidentified masked men snatched the leading Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova from the street in the centre of the capital, Minsk, on Monday and drove her away in a minivan, witnesses told local media.
Kolesnikova was one of the campaign partners of the opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who claimed victory against the long-ruling president, Alexander Lukashenko, in disputed elections on 9 August.
Kolesnikova was reportedly seized soon after 10am local time while walking close to Minsk’s national art museum. Three other members of the opposition coordination council have also vanished, in what appears to be a targeted attempt by the authorities to wipe out the protest movement.
Kolesnikova is the most prominent political figure still inside Belarus.
As protests across Belarus continue
Lukashenko is looking for some help from an old fiend, I mean friend
I was hoping there was a catch-all thread for revolutions around the world, and this would be in it. Is it ok if I post a few here?
primitive democracies like USA, etc. notwithstanding, there are a number of ongoing protest movements around the world that every once in a while topple regimes.
Europe’s last “official” dictator is trying to broker constitutional reform to save his ass. He might hold on for a few more months, if he manages to integrate with russia and the protests are sufficiently suppressed. Still a useful example of peaceful protests for over 60 days already can create huge problems for a president who falsifies elections then holds secret inaugurations. (LOL)
Tikhanovskaya spoke to her husband in prison, and he told her to get tougher. She’s calling for a national strike unless Lukashenko leaves the seat of power in two weeks.
People with experience in Central Asia politics will tell you that this is not significant, and protests like this happen somewhat regularly or with every transfer of power from one party/leader to another.
By other standards that might be timid, all they are asking is reform of the monarchy to make it more constitutional. But in a country where you are not allowed to criticize the king, it’s very-very significant.
and of course movements that are not lucky enough to go up against incompetents
Seems like Chinese authorities have largely put it down, and setback the movement. Many organizers have been arrested and fled. Next developments will likely not be in favor of democracy.
Belarus general strike is on. stream is in belarussian but worth watching the people
the sunday march happened immediately before the strike. riot police started crowd control and chased people around the neighborhoods.
