Our roundup of links to innovative and interesting mobilisation campaigns that caught our eye (and yours) in the past few weeks:
Protesters Send Message at Guggenheim
Activists released 9,000 “1%” bills of parody currency into New York’s Guggenheim’s Museum rotunda to protest the terrible labor conditions of workers building the museum’s newest addition on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.
The protest was part of a series of actions at the Guggenheim led by Global Ultra Luxury Faction (G.U.L.F), a coalition of artists, students and academics who work to “safeguard migrant workers’ rights.”
The new Abu Dhabi museum is being built by exploited migrant workers, according to G.U.L.F, who are facing both ill treatment and economic exploitation. Via popularresistance.org and policymic.com h/t Katie Flynn-Jambeck
Mexican Activists Form Human Chain Against Telecommunications Bill
People formed a human chain in protest of a telecommunications bill proposed in Mexico. The chain, and following protests, took place in Mexico City on April 26 and planned to link the official residency of the Mexican president in Los Pinos to the headquarters of Televisa in Chapultepec, approximately seven kilometres. Police prevented protesters from reaching Los Pinos.
Congress announced the bill’s voting is postponed to June. The proposed law covers a range of electronic communication issues, treading on human rights as it authorizes telecommunication companies to block, inhibit or eliminate communication services at critical moments for public and national security. It also authorizes Internet service providers to offer service packages that respond to market demands and differentiate in capacity, speed and quality which could preclude net neutrality protections in Mexico. User activity could also be tracked by authorities in real time using geolocation tools without prior court approval. Via Global Voices Online Click here to follow the #RejectAndProtect hashtag on Twitter.
Cowboys and Indians Lead Rally against Keystone XL Pipeline
On April 22, a group of ranchers, farmers and tribal communities from along the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline route, called the Cowboy Indian Alliance, rode into Washington DC and set up camp with a collection of tipis near the White House to tell President Obama to reject the pipeline.
The five-day Reject and Protect coalition encampment began with a march and opening ceremony on Earth Day. During the week Cowboy and Indian Alliance members met with the White House to voice their concerns about Keystone XL and tar sands expansion. Thousands, including musician Neil Young and actress Daryl Hannah, rallied on the National Mall and then marched past the Capitol building. Via Grist.org and RejectandProtect.org
Citizen Media, Technology Keep Public Informed During Sunflower Movement
Citizen media kept the public informed during the Taiwan Sunflower Movement, a protest driven by civic groups and students between March 18 and April 10 that saw people occupying the legislature.
Members of the movement set up websites for the protest against the Cross-Strait Service and Trade Agreement (CSSTA). The agreement’s passage by the legislature without a clause-by-clause review sparked the occupation, over concerns it would make democratic Taiwan vulnerable to political pressure from the communist mainland.
People could follow live-streams, and an online hub collected the feeds. A live broadcast system with cameras showing multiple angles safeguarded protesters from police violence. National Taiwan University’s E-Forum Facebook page gained more than 100,000 followers during the movement because their student reporters covered the protest 24 hours a day.
Other online protest tools included a map that showed podiums, toilets and convenience stores as well as a crowdfunding platform that raised funds for newspaper advertising. Via Global Voices Online
What’s Missing?
Have a people powered campaign you’re tracking? Send a note to moblab@greenpeace.org or tweet @mobilisationlab.
Top photo: Tents outside the legislative building on April 4, 2014. Photo by Twitter user bratscher. CC BY-NC 2.0
