Brazil and the United States have experienced a rise in anti-establishment protests over the last decade. As leftist groups gained social acceptance in both countries, far-right groups started to emerge. These groups began putting greater pressure on sitting officials to make substantial changes, showing the need for political reform.
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On November 2, Algerians approved a referendum to reform the constitution, despite record-low turnout, Al Jazeera reports. The bill was passed with approximately two-thirds of the vote. However, less than a quarter of registered voters casted ballots, and fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters voted in favor of the referendum.
Read moreBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Governor of São Paulo João Doria clashed over the implementation of a mandatory coronavirus vaccination of the São Paulo region. Joao Doria is in favor of making CoronaVac, a COVID-19 immunization, mandatory alongside other non-coronavirus vaccines as Brazil requires. Sinovac is a China-based biopharmaceutical company developing the CoronaVac and would conduct phase three trials on the São Paulo citizens, which is favored by Governor Doria, according to the South China Morning Post.
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Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has won a controversial third term in an election that his opponents are decrying as a sham. Ouattara won the election by a landslide, capturing 94 percent of the votes as the opposing candidates urged their supporters to abstain from voting in the election, according to BBC News.
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Massive protests took place in late October in Warsaw, Poland. The root of the anger stems from the country’s rightwing Law and Justice party’s decision to outlaw the majority of abortions.
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Thousands of people in Poland are taking to the streets in protest over a new court ruling on abortion, reports the New York Times. The nation’s top court’s decision completely bans the practice except in cases of rape, incest, or health necessity.
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Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Bangkok last Saturday calling for democratic reforms. This comes after two months of demonstrations across the country. Protesters gathered at the Thammasat University campus and at Sanam Luang, a public square close to King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s official residence at the Grand Palace.
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Belarus has been gripped with violent protests caused by the controversial re-election of president Alexander Lukashenko. According to CNN, the country’s Central Election Commission announced that Alexander Lukashenko won with 80.23% of the vote, while opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya stood at 9.9%.
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In Germany, thousands of protestors gathered at the capital on Saturday, August 29 with signs suggesting COVID-19 is not a serious, or even real, issue.
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An analysis of police response to civil unrest across the world offers several lessons regarding what role the police should play.
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