If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. Human Rights Watch documented at least 61 cases of protesters, legal observers, and bystanders who sustained injuries during the crackdown, including lacerations, a broken nose, lost tooth,. Categories . Dozens of people spent hours in detention with untreated wounds and their hands bound behind their backs. Mathuthuisa prominent journalist and editor of the online newspaper Zimlive. For example, rampant corruption in Bulgaria has sparked months of demonstrations against the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. All popular browsers allow zooming in and out by pressing the Ctrl (Cmd in OS X) and + or - keys. The state is supposed to be the ultimate protector of human rights, but in too many cases states are the biggest abusers. Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for March 4, Daters have a 'reality gap' about gender equality, Bumble says, Amazon halts Virginia HQ construction. As the year continued, an increased focus on society's most systemic ills, thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, motivated actions that followed, like Black Friday Amazon protests and U.S. election celebrations for Biden's win. In Venezuela, systemic corruption and state capture continue to drive protests against President Nicols Maduro, which have been occurring intermittently since 2014. Ethiopia: Governments effort to end mandate of UN human rights commission must be rejected. But by standing together, we have the power to fight back. Demonstrations in opposition to SARS in October were held in Lagos and throughout the country. Press Release December 14, 2020 Uganda: Stop killings and human rights violations ahead of election day. During mass opposition protests in 1996, he co-founded the Viasna human rights organisation with the aim of providing financial and legal assistance to political prisoners and their families. 03 Mar 2023 08:26:29 At the crux of the protest actions were Amazon's working conditions(Opens in a new tab) and climate impact(Opens in a new tab), both of which, depending on who you ask, range from notably subpar to dismal. Indeed, the interview began with her asking the pointed question, "Do you accept that women can have peaceful demonstrations for change and for their own rights. Theglobal Black Lives Matter protests that broke out in the wake of George Floyds death show what solidarity can look like inpractice;the extraordinary international effort to develop a. Opposition officials, human rights groups and some analysts accuse Mnangagwa of abusing the rights of critics, using tactics as harsh as his predecessor, the late Robert Mugabe. protesting againstthe pillaging of their lands by corporations these movements are our best hope for turning the tide on the repression and discrimination that have been the status quo for too long. The protests were partly co-ordinated by the Black Lives Matter movement. Climate Protests: Tracking Growing Unrest, Economic Anger Dominated Global Protests in 2022, The Four Dynamics That Drove Protests in 2021. Even before COVID-19 fully gripped the world, 2020 was shaping up to be a year of activism. We have some thoughts. Westminster has repackaged the worst parts of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act into a new Public Order Bill. From the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, to the End SARS protest in Nigeria, and protests in France over a police security bill, ending police abuse and systemic discriminationissues that have fueled protests in many countries for yearsbecame a more transnational cause. This stood in stark contrast to the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by Floyd's killing, in which police aggression and violence gravely(Opens in a new tab) endangered (and in some cases permanently harmed(Opens in a new tab)) many unarmed protesters. These rallies also brought attention to the recent police killings of other Black Americans, like Breonna Taylor(Opens in a new tab), Rayshard Brooks(Opens in a new tab), Elijah McClain(Opens in a new tab), and Tony McDade(Opens in a new tab). Peaceful assemblies can in some cases be inherently or deliberately disruptive and require a significant degree of toleration.. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before departing on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on November 9, 2018 in Washington, DC. Protests against racial injustice have increasingly focused on the specific threat of violence faced by Black trans women. Share this via Facebook Protests break out in Hong Kong as first arrest made under new security law . Other ways to share Thousands of women and school-age children spendlonghours at crowded boreholes or narrow water wells to getsafe,clean water. In addition, Governments cannot block internet networks or close down any website because of their roles in organising or soliciting a peaceful assembly, according to the Committee. Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in close to 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Bidens Challenge: Redeeming a US Role for Human Rights, Addressing the Climate Crisis in Times of Pandemic, From Flight Logs to Homeschooling, Human Rights Watch Grapples with Covids Challenges, As Online Gender-Based Violence Booms, Governments Drag Their Feet, The Other Pandemic: Fighting Inequality as We Beat Back Covid, Poverty, Pandemic, Police Violence: Ongoing Crises Demand the US Address Pervasive Racism. Here's a look at just some of the demonstrations that have defined 2020, in reverse chronological order. Prior to this amendment, alargenumber of students had sufferedcorporal punishment in Zimbabwes schools. Many people were detained during the protests. To give just a few examples, thisyear Amnesty Internationalwasforced tocloseits officesin India,Hong Kong protest leadersweresentenced to prison, Russian opposition leaderAlexei Navalnywas poisoned, and theleadershipof the Egyptian Initiative on Personal Rights were arrested. His killers were not indicted until June 25(Opens in a new tab), nearly four months after Arbery's death, after recorded video was released and sparked outrage. Despite the greatest public health challenge in over a centuryand the viral threat, lockdowns, and increasingly repressive environment it triggeredprotests remained an integral part of the global political landscape. In the last year, over 70governmentcriticswereabducted andlater releasedby unidentified men suspected to be state security agents. In Georgia, where Arbery lived, protests were staged at courthouses(Opens in a new tab) on May 8, which would have been his 26th birthday. Algeria: Reverse decision to dissolve leading human rights group, Peru: Lethal state repression is yet another example of contempt for the Indigenous and campesino population, Eswatini: Investigation into Thulani Masekos killing must be independent and transparent, Philippines: Six years on, arbitrary detention of former Senator Leila de Lima continues, Italy: Deaths at sea must spur action to ensure safe, legal routes to Europe, thousands of patients untested from hospitals into care homes, Belarus: Sentencing of human rights defenders a blatant retaliation for their work, Israel/OPT: Impunity reigns for perpetrators of settler violence. More in Thanks for signing up. ', Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for March 3. Black Lives Matter demonstration in Vienna Christopher Glanzl/Amnesty International Austria. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (03139939) and a charity registered in England and Wales (1051681) and Scotland (SC039534). Here's how to do it. If the Public Order Bill passes, people convicted for protesting would not even be allowed to participate. In the police departments response to Human Rights Watchs questions, the department said that, upon 8 p.m., the demonstration was unlawful under the Mayors Executive Order establishing the curfew, and that the detention of nonessential workers was lawful. The department also said that legal observers did not enjoy an exemption as essential workers, even though the Mayors office had clarified that legal observers were exempt from the curfew. Credit: ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP via Getty Images, Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells and Riah Milton, restrict or prohibit the discussion of LGBTQ issues, authorities significant leeway in interpretation, protest against the legislation on July 1. There are countless examples of governments failingto protect their populations -the UK government sendingthousands of patients untested from hospitals into care homes;Russian and Egyptianauthoritiesarresting doctors who raised safety concerns;PresidentTrumpdownplayingthe pandemics seriousness for months. RT @eevahele: 2020 protests for HumanRights in Helsinki Finland: Finnish Police did arrest hundreds of Protest Marchers violently. Commissioner Mijatovi published today a letter she addressed to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, Mr Vilayat Eyvazov, in which she raises concerns in relation to the dispersal of demonstrators in recent protests in Baku and limitations imposed on freedom of assembly in that context. From thekilling of George Floydin the US, to Nigerian security forces murderous attacks onpeaceful protesters, the abuse of police powers has been a global talking point in 2020. Unlike the massive crowds that gathered in September 2019, 2020's strikes met social distancing requirements to curb the spread of the virus. Share this via Twitter Together, we can keep this fundamental freedom safe. They are the only wayto inoculateagainst injustice and climate disaster, to buildinclusivesocieties that offer equal protection to all. Bialiatski, a pro-democracy activist and founder of the Viasna human rights group which provided legal and financial help to protesters during a 2020 wave of unrest in Belarus, was convicted on charges of financing those protests as well as for evading taxes FP Staff March 03, 2023 16:01:25 IST Thisincludesnot onlyour right to health, but also the right to be safe at work, topeacefully express our opinions, tolive free of discrimination. The protesters eschewed guidance from medical experts recommending social distancing and face coverings, and demanded businesses be allowed to open despite the public health emergency and experts' recommendations. (Some states, such as Texas and Alabama, restrict or prohibit the discussion of LGBTQ issues(Opens in a new tab) in the classroom.). Around 50,000 people took part in an anti-racism demonstration in Vienna on Thursday, 4th of July 2020. A Belarusian court has sentenced Ales Bialiatski, Belarus' top human rights advocate and one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, to 10 years in prison. Though underpinned by years of organizing, the momentous wave of Black Lives Matter protests seen in 2020 started in Minneapolis. As Nov. 3 loomed, the country held its breath for the results of the 2020 presidential election and then had to keep holding its breath for days. The harsh punishment of . It created new protest triggers as public health measures became objects of political contestation, whether in the form of anger over lockdowns, economic displacement, or government mismanagement of the public health crisis. He says it is particularly relevant during #COVID19, when so many peaceful gatherings have moved online https://t.co/K9Hj6rh2Aw pic.twitter.com/nkI7iYEoF5. Police arrested and took to jail at least 263 people, more than at any other protest in New York since Floyds killing. Benjamin Press is a nonresident research analyst in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program. Although the acute crisis looks likely to gradually ebb in the year ahead, the widespread economic and social devastation it has wroughtas well as citizens anger about aggravated economic realities and the legacy of governance failings by many stateswill be much slower to fade. #1. However, the rapid globalization of the coronavirus in February and March drastically reduced the number and size of protests. A Human Rights Watch report and video produced with Situ Research documents the incident that is the subject of the lawsuit, which took place on June 4, 2020 in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the . To make matters worse, many of the people who are documenting and campaigning against these violations are themselves under attack. A Belarusian court sentenced 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison on Wednesday for funding protests and tax evasion, Russian state news agency TASS reported. Yet an overall lack of in-person protests changed drastically following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, resulting in thousands taking to the streets. They were given summonses or desk appearance tickets with court dates in early October. Or alternatively hold down the Ctrl key and scroll up or down with the mouse. In August 2020,South AfricanPresident Cyril Ramaphosa appointedtwospecial envoys to help resolve the Zimbabwe crisisby identifying ways in which South Africa could assist. In anticipation of Black Friday, the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping event that was largely moved online this year, a coalition of Amazon warehouse workers and climate activists organized a day of action called #MakeAmazonPay(Opens in a new tab). Although the outside world had predicted that Bialiacki would receive a heavy sentence, the verdict is still likely to draw strong condemnation from Western human rights organizations. Authorities demanded organizers call off the march, though large crowds stayed, leading to hundreds of arrests. The four officers involved in Floyd's death were not charged until days later, after video of the killing was released and the protests began. In May, threeMovement for Democratic Change (MDC)Alliance activists,CeciliaChambery, Netsai Marova, andmember ofparliament Joanna Mamombe,were abductedfrom police custody by suspected state agentsafter taking part in a peaceful protestin Harare. The Committees interpretation will be important guidance for judges in national and regional courts around the world, as it now forms part of what is known as soft law, he added. Your donation, however big or small, is valuable. The New York Police Department (NYPD) replied in part to Human Rights Watchs questions about the protest but did not respond to a request to interview senior police officials. Over2millionpeople in the capital, Harare,and the greater metropolitan area incorporating Chitungwiza, Epworth, Ruwa and Norton have no access to safe drinking water or adequate waste and wastewater disposal services. Today's best deals include a half-priced Echo Dot, 40% off the Eufy video doorbell, and more. Share this via Printer, As More Climate Chaos Looms, Slashing Fossil Fuels Is Key. Schools were closedat the end of March 2020,for at least six monthsas a public health measure during thepandemic. The virtual protests are an effort to keep their longstanding demands(Opens in a new tab) in the spotlight. Sign up to receive emails from Carnegies Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program! People taking part in peaceful demonstrations across the United States, and journalists covering these protests, should not be subjected to disproportionate use of force or other violations, the UN human rights officesaid on Friday. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Credit: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP via Getty Images. TALLINN, Estonia (AP) A court on Friday sentenced Belarus' top human rights advocate and one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, to 10 years in prison.. In May, the European Union, United Kingdom andUnited Statescalledfor a swift, thorough and credible investigationinto the abduction and torture of opposition Member of Parliament Joana Mamombe, along with Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, as wellan investigation intoallegations of the assault on Nokuthula and Ntombizodwa Mpofu in Bulawayo. Biden and Harris supporters flocked to the streets, like the revelers pictured here in New York City, to celebrate their victory. Outside of Nigeria, the hashtag #EndSARS, which protest organizers used in Nigeria, spread as well. Yet Wisconsin Capitol Police(Opens in a new tab) said no arrests or citations were issued. Groups of conservative activists gathered at their respective state capitols to protest stay-at-home orders, and called for businesses to re-open. With an abundance of mail-in ballots due to the pandemic, presidential election results dragged on, as many Americans stayed anxiously glued to their TVs and social media feeds, waiting to hear the winner. Anti-lockdown protests emerged in at least twenty-six countries, and the perception that political leaders were using restrictions to quash domestic dissent drove protests in Bolivia, Israel, Serbia, and Uganda. Some observers wondered if the global protest wave had met its match. An interview this week between Iran's foreign minister and CNN's Christiane Amanpour went off the rails as Amanpour tried desperately to hold Iran accountable for its mistreatment of women. Share this via Telegram The 99-page report, Kettling Protesters in the Bronx: Systemic Police Brutality and Its Costs in the United States, provides a detailed account of the police response to the June 4 peaceful protest in Mott Haven, a low-income, majority Black and brown community that has long experienced high levels of police brutality and systemic racism. Those September strikes vaulted climate activist Greta Thunberg(Opens in a new tab), who was 16 at the time, to an even larger stage, inspiring countless other young people to get involved in protesting for climate action. Summer 2020 saw a paradigm shift in America's ongoing struggle for racial justice. The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox. Later that day, protesters in D.C. toppled a statue of Albert Pike(Opens in a new tab), a Confederate general, ultimately setting it on fire. People believe that gender equality is improving, but the rest of the data tells a different story. Human Rights Watch on Sunday condemned the deaths of more than 70 people in violence that erupted at protests in Egypt, accusing authorities of a "criminal disregard for people's lives".