Occupy Davos protests continue outside WEF

Occupy Davos activists are continuing their protest in igloos outside the World Economic Forum venue.

Protesters view the forum as an undemocratic club of the world’s rich elite, seeking to secure their wealth.

Demonstrators, who are calling on global leaders to protect the poor and the environment from state budget cuts, launched balloons over the venue to bring attention to their message.

The protest is one of several small, peaceful rallies that have taken place in the Swiss ski resort of Davos this week.

“We think we should solve our problem democratically and not another with those are responsible for the problems because self-proclaimed global leaders, they are responsible for the crisis of the last year and they can’t be the solution. Solution is democracy in every part of the life, it means economy, it means society and it means of course it means politics”, one activist said.

Protesters say that despite their peaceful intentions, they are often portrayed as violent criminals.

“We believe that with democracy we are able to have those solutions, we are able to have those problems solved and it is really crucial that we are not being criminalized while protesting”, a protester said.

26 Jan 2012 Occupy Davos Protest - Credit: CSM

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• Davos: Financial fragility and igloo protests (ibnlive.in.com)

Tags: Davos, Occupy Davos, Switzerland, World Economic Forum

Blog: For journalists, cyber-security training slow to take hold

For centuries, journalists have been willing to go to jail
to protect their sources. Back in 1848, New
York Herald correspondent John Nugent spent a month in jail for refusing to tell a U.S. Senate committee
his source for a leak exposing the secret approval of a treaty with Mexico. In
a digital age, however, journalists need more than steadfast conviction to keep
themselves and their sources safe. Government intelligence agencies, terrorist
groups, and criminal syndicates are using electronic surveillance to learn what
journalists are doing and who their sources are.  It seems many journalists are not keeping
pace.

from Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/blog/2012/01/for-journalists-cyber-security-training-slow-to-ta.php

Tags: Human Rights, Press Freedom

Impact

News from the Committee to Protect Journalists, January 2012

Journalist released after 163 days

CPJ was pleased to report on the January release of imprisoned journalist Hermann Aboa, who languished behind bars for 163 days. The former Ivorian state TV presenter was freed on bail after being jailed in July 21 on antistate charges for his role as a moderator of a political talk show on state TV during the rule of deposed former President Laurent Gbagbo.

CPJ called for Aboa’s immediate and unconditional release and urged Ivorian prosecutors to drop the politicized charges against him, which included endangering state security and public order, participating in an insurrection, and inciting ethnic hatred. CPJ reviewed the case and determined any charges based on Aboa’s performance as a journalist were baseless.

from Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/2012/01/impact.php

Tags: Human Rights, Press Freedom

Blog: Criminal gangs intimidate, silence Córdoba journalists

At most newspapers, reporting for the society page isn’t
especially dangerous. But in the northern Colombian department of Córdoba,
which is under siege from drug-trafficking gangs, even covering birthday
parties can be risky.

from Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/blog/2012/01/criminal-gangs-intimidate-silence-cordoba-journali.php

Tags: Human Rights, Press Freedom

Independent editor imprisoned in Kazakhstan

New
York, January 26, 2012–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today’s
court ruling against Igor Vinyavsky, editor of the
independent weekly Vzglyad, and calls
for his immediate release.

from Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/2012/01/independent-editor-imprisoned-in-kazakhstan.php

Tags: Human Rights, Press Freedom