Worldwide Economic Protests and Riots
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Credit Crunch and Recession sparks protests and riots
Economic related protests and riots are occuring around the world from Iceland to China. The mainstream media in the U.S. gives relatively little or no coverage to these events. On January 23, 2009, the Prime Minister of Iceland, Geir Haarde resigned from office following several months of protests over the banking collapse and credit squeeze. The resignation of the Minister of Business Affairs followed two days later. Economic conditions in Iceland and other parts of the world continue to deteriorate as the effects of the credit crisis affect the general economy. The world economy appears to be sliding deeper into recession and possibly something worse. Read more on the economic downturn here. Protests in Iceland are happening on a near daily basis and are becoming edgier as tensions mount amidst the declining economy. You can see more about Iceland's economic fallout and protests at the excellent blog (written and updated frequently by a native Icelander) here http://iceland-dori.blogspot.com/
Economic related rioting is also increasing in Eastern Europe. In particular, Latvia has seen some extremely violent rioting. Rioting has also been seen in Greece, France, Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania. See videos and article links below.
There were also major protests in the U.S. on Wall St. back in 2008, click here to see the very "colorful and spirited" protests that the U.S. media barely covered (strong language advisory): http://hubpages.com/hub/Protests-on-Wall-Street---what-the-news-media-isnt-showing-you
Likewise, there were major protests in London in 2008 that received modest coverage in Europe, but essentially nil coverage here in the U.S. See what you missed here (strong language advisory): http://hubpages.com/hub/Protests-in-London-Against-the-Financial-Bailout-Plan-for-Banks
There is a great deal of unrest in China, as the recession in the United States and Europe is drastically reducing demand for factory produced goods made there. In particular, the city of Guangdong, has seen large scale rioting by recently unemployed factory workers who were left desparate and destitute after factory closures. Most economists agree that China requires a minimum of 8% economic growth just to provide enough jobs to keep pace with the huge numbers of new people entering the workforce due to population growth. Recently, the growth rate dipped to 6.8% and projections indicate that it may decline to 5% which indicates severe economic problems and increased social upheaval. A recent article indicates that some 20 million Chinese have lost their jobs. See article below.
Below is a collection of videos and links regarding economic related riots around the world. This list will surely grow in 2009 as the effects of the banking collapse, credit crunch and ensuing recession (or economic depression) propagate throughout communities in the world.
Update Feb 21, 2009: Huge protest in Ireland erupts over the eonomic crisis. Middle class protesters are rallying against a levy on their retirement, which they say benefits the rich. See video below.
Also, protests in Greenwich, CT at bank CEOs luxury homes. Busloads of protesters descended upon the estates of bank CEOs and demanded justice. See video below.
Update April 13, 2009: Violent protests and riots are taking place in Thailand.
April 13, 2009: Violent Riots and Protests in Thailand
Thai Protest Violence
April 1, 2009: G-20 Protests in London
Raw Footage from G-20 Protests
More G-20 protest coverage
Mar. 19, 2009: Protests at AIG offices in Phoenix, AZ
March 13, 2009 - French protests and CEO taken hostage
Economic Protest Finally Makes the Mainstream News in U.S. - About time!
Huge Protest on the Economy in Ireland
Protesters Storm Bank CEO Homes in Connecticut
Economic Protests at Icelandic Parliament
1 Million in France March and Protest Jan. 29, 2009
Economic Riots in Guangdong after factory shutdown
Iceland Economic Protest Dec. 31, 2008
Violent Economic Riot in Riga, Latvia (buildings damaged, police vehicles overturned, damaged)
More Latvia Riot Video
Riots in Lithuania Over the Economic Crisis
More Economic Protest Video from Lithuania
Reuters News Story: EU Youth Protest Economic Crisis
Bulgaria Economic Protest and Riot
Economic Protests in the News
- Note to Media: Just Do Your Damn Jobs and Cover Tea Parties
"If you do something of note and the media choose not to cover it – the issue might as well never exist." So why isn't the media covering the thousands of tea party protesters across the U.S.? - April 2, 2009: Angry French Workers Take Their Bosses Hostage - NYTimes.com
French labor experts say they expect actions like the one at a Caterpillar plant to be repeated as anxiety grows over the worsening labor market. - Mar. 21, 2009: Protesters visit AIG officials' lavish Conn. homes
A busload of activists representing working- and middle-class families paid visits Saturday to the lavish homes of American International Group executives to protest the tens of millions of dollars in bonuses awarded... - Mar. 20, 2009: Bloomberg News - European Industrial Output Plunges by Most on Record
European industrial production dropped by the most on record in January as the deepest global recession in more than six decades forced companies to cut output and curb investments. - Protesters target U.S. foreclosed-homes auctioneer | U.S. | Reuters
Mar. 8, 2009: NEW YORK (Reuters) - An auction of foreclosed homes in New York City on Sunday drew protesters who blamed banks for an epidemic of home losses and called for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. - Arsonists Torch Berlin Porsches, BMWs on Economic Woe
Feb 27, 2009: Looks like BMWs, Porsches, Mercedes, the symbols of wealth and power are being torched in Germany by those expressing rage about the widespread economic downturn. "The worst recession since World War II is fueling anger..." - Global Economic Crisis Poses Top Threat to U.S., Spy Chief Warns
02/12/09: WASHINGTON — The new director of national intelligence told Congress on Thursday that global economic turmoil and the instability it could ignite had outpaced terrorism as the most urgent threat facing the United States. - Protesters Gather at Bank CEO Homes in Connecticut
Protesters have gathered at homes in exclusive sections of Connecticut where many bank CEOs reside. - WTO chief warns of looming political unrest - Yahoo! News
The global economic crisis could trigger political unrest equal to that seen during the 1930s, the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said in a German newspaper interview Saturday. News, Headlines and Latest Stories on Yahoo! News - Bank workers protest over greed of bosses | UK | Reuters
LONDON (Reuters) 02/10/09 - Workers from high street banks demonstrated outside parliament on Tuesday, saying jobs were put in jeopardy while banking executives reaped massive bonuses in recent years. The Unite - China's migrant workers hit by economic pinch as 20 million lose jobs - Times Online
China’s economic downturn has cost the jobs of 20 million rural migrants, prompting a call from the Communist Party’s security chief for efforts to calm possible unrest. - British workers strike as economic unease spreads - Los Angeles Times
O2/03/09: Hundreds of British workers walked off the job Monday, part of a rising tide of industrial unrest sweeping Europe as the continent's economic downturn worsens. - More Protests for Greece as Farmers Continue Blockade
02/03/09: Greek farmers demanding more aid from the government are the latest to protest in the European nation, as the ruling party’s popularity slides. - As Economy Sinks, Russians Protest
01/31/09 NY Times: Protesters held demonstrations throughout Russia on Saturday, offering largely subdued, but pointed criticism of the government’s economic policies as the country continues to sink deeper into an economic morass. - Europe's Economic Protests May Be Contagious
NPR.org, January 30, 2009 · As the global economic downturn sinks in, some people in Europe are expressing their economic pain in the form of strikes and protests. - The Associated Press: France's big general strike hobbles services
Jan. 29, 2009: More than 1 million protesters took part, with tens of thousands of youths, retirees and unemployed people marching across towns and cities, police said. - Iceland Protesters shoved by Central Bank Economist
This is a link to an Iceland news broadcast (in Icelandic) that shows just how tense the situation in Iceland is becoming. It appears that Olafur Orn Klemensson (and associate), an economist at the Central Bank of Iceland pushed protesters. - Iceland banking crisis video and more 2008 and 2009
An outstanding and frequently updated blog about the Iceland economic crisis by a native Icelander. Chock full of videos and information about the current state of economic affairs in Iceland. This blog is a must read! - Baltic Riots Spread to Lithuania in the Face of Deteriorating Economic Conditions
N.Y. Times Article: Riots broke out once again in the Baltic states on Friday, this time in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, where a group of 7,000 gathered to protest planned economic austerity measures. - Latvia Is Shaken by Riots Over Its Weak Economy
N.Y. Times Jan 14, 2009: Violent protests over political grievances and mounting economic woes shook the Latvian capital, Riga, late Tuesday, leaving around 25 people injured and leading to 106 arrests. - Ariz. police say they are prepared as War College warns military must prep for unrest; IMF warns of
Ariz. police say they are prepared as War College warns military must prep for unrest; IMF warns of economic riots
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Anybody remember the old Tom Lehrer song "We Will All Go Together When We Go"? We're ALL supremely fucked people. Duck and cover.
Have you watched "The Money Masters"? If not google it and watch it.
Hold the line. We are almost there.
I watch probably 5 hours of news a week on TV and none of this has been shown while I was watching and it's certainly not found in my local Daytona Beach News Journal. My fear is that if the mainstream media is not following these stories, neither are the politicians.
Thanks for putting all this together, it's a real wake-up.
The media in the US is one of the most regulated and pointless things on TV. Rarely do we see the real news especially from around the world. To make matters worse I feel that the way they get on a subject such as a school shooting or the economy and do not leave it only makes the situation worse. Joe Public quit spending months ago when the economy could have been turned around simply because the news was already beating the word depression into them.
Thank you so much for this - very informative and not something we generally see - great hub!
Once again convinced - the media - are the same everywhere! As in Iceland, Russia, that in the U.S. ... Cry about trifles, but the silent major problems ...
Since the advent of cable TV news, the news is really an editorial to advance whatever gains their market share.
Our news is too busy reporting such important topics such as Rhianna/Chris Brown and Nadya Suleman.
Our news is too busy reporting such important topics such as Rhianna/Chris Brown and Nadya Suleman.
BTW is there still an AZGuy
Our "news" is gearing only to first being entertainment, secondary to reporting, and then only reporting what everyone else is reporting -- it's all about ratings. We haven't been told the truth for so long most don't even know it. Sadly, most also don't care because they are too busy trying to hold on by the tips of their fingers to what they have or feel entitled to. Great hub!
Thanks for all the comments. I think the best thing we can do is to be aware of what is really going on out there and to start spreading the word! Also, if anyone hears of anything related to this topic, please share it with us here! Thanks!
Thanks for this blog. I think it would be even better if the date of each event was always mentioned.
The news here (Switzerland) doesn't speak about what's really going on in the States. So we would appreciate if we could have direct witnesses telling us about it.
Incidentally, I suggest watching the following documentary:
www.slaughterhaus.com
NYU's student takeover/sit in has gotten things stirring on many college campus. At Ramapo College (northern New Jersey), Ramapo Against the War (R.A.W) are having a major forum with several guest professors from universities as far as Harvard to come and speak about this meltdown. Several students will be speaking as well to highlight the issues of what the younger generation will face. If anyone is interested my e-mail is SLaudati@ramapo.edu
We've got some protests coming up in 2 days in the US.
Swissmarie,
Here's a little footage from the States:
It's no suprise that US TV stations don't report on civil unrest and when normal people take to the streets in protest. TV stations are owned by large corporations and they sure don't want to bring such news to Americans in case they 'get ideas.'
The citizens of the US are so asleep that they would not know if they were being robbed if the government came in with a badge and took their houses. It is unfortunate that they just don't realize that the international bankers are robbing the US treasury blind.
Interesting stuff and a very thorough presentation.
Thanks for this article!
mizrae says:
10 months ago
This is just the "tip of the iceberg" and it's "coming to America"!!!