Mass protests amid lockdowns
Lockdowns have failed to stop people from mounting mass protest actions across the globe to condemn mounting human rights violations, and worsening poverty and unemployment amid the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Lebanon, thousands of citizens marched on the streets on April 27 to oppose the drastic economic downturn and the lack of aid amid the pandemic. They said that they could die from hunger due to the negligence of the government than from the disease itself.
Two thousand individuals protested in Israel while maintaining a two-meter distance from each other last April 19 to condemn the anti-democratic measures implemented by the Netanyahu regime. Among these are are the restrictions on assembly and the conduct of mass surveillance.
In Latin America, protest actions erupted from various communities to demand adequate aid. Urban poor residents went out of their communities to protest in Chile. Noise barrages were also mounted in El Salvador. In Colombia, urban poor residents who lost their jobs also protested in their respective communities. These spontaneous protests since March are being spearheaded by semiproletariats.
In France, 250 workers formed a human chain last May 11 to condemn the lockdown which continues to result in violence and worsening forms of inequality.
In Belgium, health workers condemned their government’s inutility in addressing the Covid-19 crisis. On March 16, they turned their backs on Belgium’s prime minister upon her arrival at a hospital. They criticized the implementation of health budget cuts and low wages for health workers.