2011 has been the stage for a resurgence of a classic tactic for political reform: the protest. Although there are rallies of varying sizes around the world each year, few have had the numbers or tenacity to wield significant influence. This year, though, they provoked the toppling of governments, the breakdown of civil society, and violent suppressions that sometimes backfired. The last time such a wave of demonstrations gripped so many countries at once was during the student movements of 1968, more than 40 years ago.
Here is a month-by-month look at key moments in some of the year’s protests:
January: Tunisia
Tunsia was the first – and perhaps the most successful – uprising in what later became known as the Arab Spring. Civil activists began protesting against government corruption, unemployment and restrictions on freedom after the self-immolation of street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi on December 17, 2010. Bouazizi had committed the act because of treatment he had received by a municipal official. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced to resign on Jan. 14, and peaceful elections were held in October.
Public domain photograph.
February: Egypt
In this Feb. 4 photograph, protesters flood the streets of Alexandria, Egypt, to call for the end of President Hosni Mubarek’s 30-year rule. Millions of protesters, many of them utilizing social media to organize their movement, held a stand-off against Mubarek’s regime for several weeks. Mubarek announced he would step down on Feb. 11, after members of Egypt’s military began refusing to crack down on demonstrators. The military, after taking over the provisional government, sparked a new wave of protests that claimed similar abuses under the new regime. Mubarek now faces trial for premeditated murder, and several rounds of contentious elections are under way.
Photograph courtesy of Al Jazeera/Jamal Elshayyal. Some rights reserved.
March: Yemen
Protesters march on the university in the capital of Sana’a in Yemen on March 1, 2011. Inspired by Tunisia, Egypt and other nearby movements, demonstrations in Yemen began over similar concerns about government corruption and unemployment. Yemenis were also upset over proposed changes to Yemen’s constitution to extend the length of terms for the president and legislators. President Ali Abdullah Saleh originally rejected demands from the protesters. But after months of crackdowns and defections, the government was left in shambles, and Saleh signed an agreement on Nov. 23 to resign within 30 days.
Photograph courtesy of Al Jazeera English. Some rights reserved.
April: India
It all started with activist Anna Havare announcing that he would undertake a “fast until death” beginning April 5 that would last until India’s government enacted substantial corruption reforms. Hazare’s supporters, undertaking the practices of nonviolent resistance first championed by Gandhi, began a series of protests in New Delhi and elsewhere that called for the passage of the Jan Lokpal bill, which, if enforced, would further many of the protesters’ goals. Hazare was arrested in August, but mass outrage ensued, and he was released again and allowed to continue his hunger strike. The bill finally passed at the end of August, and Hazare ended his fast, though he has continued to push for more reforms.
Photograph courtesy of Pranav21391. Some rights reserved.
May: Spain
High unemployment, new austerity measures, and a government that people feel is more responsive to business interests than average voters sparked major protests in May throughout Spain that have been referred to as the 15-M Movement. The largest demonstrations took place as elections neared in May. The President of the Regional Electoral Committee of Madrid declared the gatherings illegal, but that increased the discord. In this picture, tens of thousands of protesters gather in Puerta del Sol in Madrid on May 20 to camp out until after the end of the elections, in which the ruling Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party lost to the populist People’s Party.
Photograph courtesy of Fotograccion. Some rights reserved.
June: Greece
Greek debt was at the center of the Euro crisis this year. The country’s sovereign debt problems resulted in the passage of numerous austerity packages in exchange for bailouts and protections from other European nations. The collapse of the Greek economy was met with violent reactions from citizens, who began a series of strikes and protests in May. The anti-austerity demonstrations became more and more pronounced, reaching a crescendo in June, when the Greek parliament voted to accept the European Union’s plans to put the financial system back in order. In this June 6 photograph, people gather in Syntagma (Constitution) square outside the parliament building.
Photograph courtesy of Protonotarios. Some rights reserved.
July: Malaysia
The Malay people are not well-known for mass demonstrations. But there has been growing unrest in recent years to the ruling coalition in Malaysia, Barisan Nasional, which has won every federal election since 1957. Tens of thousands of sympathizers with minority and opposition groups, organized by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (known as Bersih), marched in Kuala Lampur on July 9 to demand elections reforms. Only limited protesting is allowed in Malaysia, and there were threats of police intervention prior to the march. Water cannons and tear gas were used to disperse protesters, of whom 1,600 were arrested. In November, the lower house of Malaysia’s parliament passed a ban on street demonstrations that was roundly condemned by pro-democracy groups.
Photograph courtesy of Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved.
August: Chile
Students have been protesting Chile’s private education industry, asking for greater investment and control by the state in public education. Several waves of contention have swept the country. The first was in reaction to a proposal by then-Education Minister Joaquín Lavín’s proposal to increase funding for non-traditional universities, which have been known to exploit legal loopholes to make profits. More proposals followed, with each bringing a new wave of demonstrations. On Aug. 25, unions organized a major strike and protest that they estimated drew about 600,000 protesters throughout Chile in response to crackdowns on students and reforms that they said fell short. These marchers were in Pichilemu that day.
Photograph courtesy of Diego Grez. Some rights reserved.
September: Libya
Rebel supporters celebrate the fall of Libya’s capital, Tripoli, to anti-Gaddafi forces on Sept. 8. The country’s uprising began in February as part of the Arab Spring, then devolved into a civil war that drew the backing of NATO. Throughout the year, rebels and Gaddafi allies battled from city to city, with both sides seeing early victories. Finally, the rebels captured the remaining holdout cities. They found Gaddafi hiding in Sirte in October, and, in a controversial move, killed him without a trial.
Photograph courtesy of Ammar Abd Rabbo. Some rights reserved.
October: Occupy Wall Street
A group of protesters angered by income inequality set up camp in New York City’s Zuccotti Park, in the shadow of Wall Street’s skyscrapers. Hundreds of camps sprang up across the U.S. and the rest of the world. The occupiers were joined frequently for marches and demonstrations by others sympathetic to their causes. Their popularity spiked on Oct. 15, when coordinated protests were held in cities around the planet. A month later to the day, the encampment at Zuccotti Park was broken up by police. Camps across the U.S. and elsewhere were subject to crackdowns of varying severity, but protests and some camps continue.
Photograph by Brandon T. Bisceglia.
November: Syria
Sporadic protests inspired by the Arab Spring popped up in pockets of Syria at the beginning of the year. In March, mass demonstrations began taking place in opposition of the dictatorial rule of President Bashar al-Assad, the end of his Ba’athist Party’s control, and a lack of constitutional government. Assad's camp clamped down on protests with military force, serving only to ignite further uprisings and international concerns. In an unprecedented move, the Arab League approved near-unanimous sanctions against Syria in November. The United Nations estimates that about 5,000 people have been killed in the conflict so far.
Photograph by Syriana2011. Some rights reserved.
December: Russia
Tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, over allegations of vote-rigging and ballot fraud in parliamentary elections by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s ruling United Russia Party, which clung to its shrinking majority despite electoral dishonesty. Putin himself is running for president in an election set for March in 2012. Protesters light flares in the chilly Moscow darkness in this Saturday, Dec. 10 photograph.
Photograph by Pavel Golovkin, courtesy of Cryptome.org.
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