Anger on the streets, from east to west

The second half of 2019 has witnessed pro-democracy demonstrations in various continents

NEWDELHI:MASS demonstrations, nationwide roadblocks, violent clashes with police and immense damage to property. Throughout the second half of 2019, several protest movements have sent shock waves across continents.

Among the most prominent hubs of ongoing activism are Hong Kong, Spain, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia. Indonesia, Egypt, Algeria and Russia haven’t been spared either, alongside several other nations.

Most of these protests panning out simultaneously have a common thread. They have largely been dubbed “pro-democracy movements”, with particular focus on the state’s role in economic failure and corruption.

In West Asia, protests have added to the instability caused by the Us-iran tensions. In Iraq, people are protesting violently against corruption and job losses. Its neighbour Iran has been left shaken by protesters on rampage following an unpopular fuel price rise. Rattled by the unrest, Tehran has gone on to announce that hundreds of banks, government sites and petrol pumps have been torched by angry mobs.

In Lebanon, which is reeling under economic woes, demonstrators are taking their government to task over the administration’s controversial move to levy a tax on Whatsapp calls.

On the South American continent, Chile has been spiralling into chaos due to violent protests over a hike in subway fares and escalating inequality. Bolivia, too, has descended into chaos. Supporters of Evo Morales are at loggerheads with political opponents after protests over alleged electoral fraud forced him to flee the country.

Moving on to Europe, in Spain, the Catalonia pro-independence movement has kept Barcelona constantly on the boil with activists facing off with cops.

The most widely talked about movement is the one raging in Hong Kong, where demonstrators are seeking greater political freedom from China. The crisis has kept the spotlight away from Russia, where the government has witnessed protests over local election results, and has carried out mass arrests.