China: campaign for activist under house arrest

China: campaign for activist under house arrest

Although he was released from prison last year after spending four years behind bars, Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng remains under house arrest in his village in Shandong province in eastern China. In February the blind lawyer made a video describing the conditions of his unofficial house arrest. His house is apparently under 24 hour surveillance and he and his family are barred from leaving their home. His six year old daughter is not even allowed to go to school.

Human rights activists, reporters and ordinary citizens have been campaigning for his immediate release and some, including a Buddhist nun have tried to visit him to try and draw attention to his case. They have all been forced away, detained and or brutalized and none of them have made it as far as Chen’s home.

Journalist Shi Yu has posted a message on his micro blog describing his experience last week. He says he was stopped by men in civilian clothing; they beat him up and confiscated personal belongings including his mobile phone and Dictaphone.

Undeterred by this brutality, activists continue campaigning for the self-taught lawyer who is well known for exposing abuses in China such as forced abortions.

And web users are being asked to show their solidarity by taking photos of themselves wearing sunglasses and posting them on this blog calling for the immediate release of Chen Guangcheng.

Worldwide protests planned for October 15th

This video has been posted online by the activist group “United for Global Change”. Their message: From America to Asia, from Africa to Europe, people are rising up to claim their rights and demand a true democracy. Now it is time for all of us to join in a global nonviolent protest. The group is calling for people from all over the world to take to the streets on October 15th. The stated aim being to denounce the unfairness of a financial system which they believe favours the rich, and for people of the world to rise up and voice their anger and frustration.

The event now disposes of its own website to help coordinate and federate the different protest movements which have been set up across the globe over the past few weeks. If this interactive map is anything to go by then the global movement is already strong, with hundreds of demonstrations planned for the 15th October in over 45 countries.

Social networks are playing a key role in promoting the event with organizers inviting web users to join the movement and help bring about change. A United for Global Change Facebook page has been set up and Twitter users can follow "#15oct" or "#global change" to find out what’s being planned in their neighbourhood.

So the global day of protests is scheduled for 15th October but protests are already underway in strategic parts of a number of cities across the globe; as we can see in this recent footage from New York, Madrid, and also Tel Aviv, with demonstrators apparently determined to stand their ground until their demands for political and economic reforms are met.

Barcode

A carton of milk, a book, keys, a video game console … ordinary objects with a story to tell… “Barcode” is a web documentary which looks at our relationship with the objects around us. This project is a co-production between Franco-German TV network Arte and the national Film Board of Canada and includes 100 short films from 30 European and Canadian directors.

Now trending on social networks

Former bass player for the group Weezer, Mikey Welsh, has been trending heavily on social networks since Saturday when it was announced he had been found dead in a Chicago hotel. What is particularly disturbing is that on the 26th of September the 40 year old artist tweeted that he had dreamt he was going to die in Chicago of a heart attack in his sleep and that he was going to write his will. An enquiry into his death is underway and initial evidence is pointing to a drug overdose. Mikey Welsh left Weezer in 2001 to become a full-time artist and painter.

Video of the day

This young lady is called Feng Hui and her fancy footwork to the famous Michael Jackson track “Beat It” really got the crowds going at the Shanghai Roller Skating Grand Prix in China. The skater kept fantastic rhythm in front of the judges and carried out a series of equally impressive moves; a performance truly worthy of the King of Pop…