Current Events – Mob Mentality

“In every mob wicked angels are at work, rousing men to commit deeds of violence.” Last Day Events, 23.

Occupy Wall Street is a people-powered movement that began in September 17, 2011. Solidarity encampments and demonstrations have been organized across the United States and throughout the world to call for economic, political and social change. It’s unclear what the Occupy protests have accomplished, but millions of dollars in costs of repair and maintenance and police overtime have been incurred by cities since the protesters began gathering, and protesters are beginning to camp out again. www.washingtonpost.com; www.democracynow.org, April 25, 2012.

Saudi Arabia closed its Cairo embassy and recalled its ambassador following protests over a detained Egyptian human rights lawyer in a sharp escalation of tension between two regional powerhouses already on shaky terms due to uprisings in the Arab world. The unexpected Saudi diplomatic break came following days of protests by hundreds of Egyptians outside the Saudi Embassy in Cairo and consulates in other cities. www.miamiherald.com, April 28, 2012.

Bahrain is a small desert island kingdom in the Persian Gulf, an oil-producing nation of about one million. In mid-February 2011, Bahrain was gripped by a series of pro-democracy demonstrations in Manama, the capital, set off by the example of revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. At least 70 people have been killed in violence related to the uprising. topics.nytimes.com, April 23, 2012.

Tens of thousands of anti-regime protesters have taken to the streets in Syria on the second day of the UN [United Nations] and Arab League-brokered ceasefire. Security forces were widely deployed and despite the agreed truce, activists claim that more than 15 people have been killed. Syrian troops fired tear gas and bullets on thousands of protesters who spilled out of mosques after noon prayers on Friday, activists said. State media reported that bombs and shootings killed 17 soldiers as the latest diplomatic efforts failed to halt more than 13 months of bloodshed in the country. www.guardian.co.uk, April 20, 2012; ibnlive.in.com, April 21, 2012.

KANO, Nigeria (AP) – Gunmen attacked church services on a university campus on Sunday in northern Nigeria, using small explosives to draw out panicked Christian worshipers, who were then shot in an assault that killed at least 16 people, officials said. www.nytimes.com, April 29, 2012.

A Tibetan exile who set himself on fire in Delhi [India] earlier this week has died, as Indian police and paramilitaries launch a security crackdown to prevent further protests or self-immolations during the visit of the Chinese premier, Hu Jintao. Authorities fear that more Tibetans will follow suit to protest at Chinese policies in their homeland. About 30 Tibetans have died and another dozen have been seriously injured in the past 13 months in similar protests, mainly inside China. guardian.co.uk, March 28, 2012.

The protesting employees of the National Commission for Women Development staged a demonstration outside the Karachi [Pakistan] Press Club on Monday. They were forced to disperse when personnel of the police department were apparently ordered to use high-pressure water cannons on them. Moreover, a large number of demonstrators were baton-charged and some of them arrested, because nothing the law enforcers did was enough for making the protesters stop voicing their grievances and demands.

www.pakistantoday.com, April 3, 2012.