Protests and demonstrations have rocked every corner of the
world in recent days, with tax hikes, corruption and supposed
environmental injustice all raising public anger. But why have they
spread?
Watching the news over the
last week, one would be convinced that the world has devolved into a
series of flashpoints, with corrupt governments across the political
spectrum facing the wrath of their enraged citizens. To be fair, that’s
not far from the truth.
Four continents have seen anti-government
demonstrations over the last week, many of them sparked by seemingly
innocuous taxes or changes to the law. In Lebanon, protesters have set
Beirut
ablaze in response to a proposed fee of 20 cents per day on internet voice calls, dubbed the
“WhatsApp tax.” Chileans set metro stations on
fire
following a $1.17 increase in public transport fares, and the streets
of Ecuador are filled with rubble after a planned removal of fuel
subsidies triggered mass
unrest.
Elsewhere, perennial corruption has the West African nation of
Liberia in a state of near-constant protest; a change to presidential
term limits in Guinea caused deadly riots; Mexicans are demonstrating
against corruption and drug cartel violence; and masked rioters in Hong
Kong are still rallying against their government, months after the
withdrawal of the Chinese extradition bill that sparked their anger.
Europe, meanwhile, has seen a general strike and mass
marches in Barcelona following the jailing of Catalonian independence leaders on Monday. Dutch farmers have also
shut down
the country’s motorways after the government introduced new emissions
regulations; and in France, already rocked by almost a year of ‘Yellow
Vests’ demonstrations, thousands of firefighters have
marched for more funding and better working conditions.
