Since October 1st 2019, protesters demanding an end to corruption in Iraq have camped in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, while tens of thousands have joined mass demonstrations calling for radical political and social change. A major theme of the protests has been opposition to the influence of the Iranian regime over Iraq’s political system, but demonstrators…
It was with great sadness that we learnt about the death of Nita Sanghera, UCU’s president-elect on 16 January. Among the many causes and campaigns that Nita devoted her tireless energy to supporting was mobilising solidarity for activists in the Middle East in their fight for justice. She was always outspoken in her defence of…
In the Algerian province of Béjaia , grassroots democracy reached new heights in the four-day general strike in the run-up to the presidential election on 12 December. Middle East Solidarity spoke to university lecturer Kamel Aissat, an activist with the socialist PST party, about how organisation from below delivered an almost total shutdown of the…
Campaigning journalist Omar Radi was detained and charged with “insulting the judiciary” on 26 December, his lawyer has said. He will face prosecutors on 2 January in connection with a comment he made on Twitter 9 months ago about the role of the judge in the conviction of protest leaders from the Rif region. A…
Hundreds of thousands turned out to mark a year since the beginning of the revolution in Sudan, with mass protests in Khartoum, Port Sudan, El Obeid, Atbara and many other cities on 19 December. Meanwhile government ministries, such as the Ministry of Higher Education commemorated the martyrs by hanging out huge banners and posters.
On 12 December Algerians went to the polls to elect a new president – or did they? Millions boycotted the election, which they saw as illegitimate. Since February 2019, a huge protest movement has developed against the corrupt regime. Weekly demonstrations involving millions across the country keep demanding system change, a state based on the…
By Gianni Del Panta Thanks to their protests and strikes, Genoa dockers prevented the Saudi ship Bahri Yanbu from loading military equipment in late May, also creating the conditions to impose a permanent blockage on weapons and machinery that might have been used in the war in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition. Moreover, the victory…
By Miriram Scharf Campaigners in Tower Hamlets organised a successful public meeting on 6 November, addressed by Clare Short and Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal, Rob Ferguson, Jewish activist and author of the pamphlet “The Far Right, Zionism and the Left” and several local councillors in an ongoing battle over the council’s ban on…
Qasim Muhammad analyses the grievances behind demonstrations in the Iraqi capital and southern cities which have faced violent repression by the security forces. From Middle East Solidarity magazine, issue 12. Order a print copy or download as a pdf here The popular movement which exploded in early October was driven by young people using social…
Middle East Solidarity spoke to Dr Sara Abdelgalil, president of the Sudan Doctors’ Union, UK branch, about the ongoing struggle for peace, freedom and justice following the signing of an agreement for a transition to a civilian government earlier this year. Does the agreement over the government during the transitional period meet the demands of…
Students and university staff played a key role in Sudan’s revolution and are continuing to organise and push for real justice and democracy, writes Dr Iman Hamza From Middle East Solidarity magazine, issue 12. Order a print copy or download as a pdf here El Bashir’s regime created what was called the ‘Higher Education Revolution’,…
Olivia Palmer analyses the roots of Iraq’s agricultural crisis in war, occupation and neoliberal reforms. From Middle East Solidarity magazine, issue 12. Order a print copy or download as a pdf here Iraq is the birthplace of agriculture. Its wheat, legumes and other seed crops have been developed and refined for local conditions over a…
