By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine — Three years ago, on November 21, 2013, the people of Kiev, Ukraine took part in an anti-government protest in the streets of the city.  The events were called “Revolution of Dignity” by the victors of the protest, who successfully took power of the right-winged radicals and promises of integrating Ukraine into the European Union.

The 2013 protests, which resulted in over 100 deaths and an ousted government and president, are also known as “Euromaiden.”  The Euromaiden movement started when protestors gathered in Kiev after then-president Viktor Yanukovych announced he declined to sign a trade deal with the EU and instead sought a closer economic relationship with Russia.  Protestors saw the trade deal as a path towards adopting a European standard of living, as well as possibly visa-free travel in the EU.  After the protests, Yanukovych fled to Russia and was subsequently removed from office.

This year, November 21 was declared a national holiday in Ukraine, and was given the name “Dignity and Freedom Day.”  As a part of the commemorations, government officials, protest participants, clergy, youth organizations, and Ukrainian citizens held ceremonies across the country.  Flowers were placed on a monument honoring those who were killed in the protests, and a “revolution march” was organized to take place in Kiev on the holiday.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke at one of the ceremonies, calling on the nation to unite and stand together against the Russian “threat.”  Poroshenko insisted that “[t]he Revolution of Dignity put an end to our Russian-Soviet past and the post-Soviet period.  It has separated our Ukrainian and European world from the Russian world.”  Poroshenko went on to congratulate the Ukrainian citizens, and thanked them for building “our European state together!”  He stressed that since the 2013 protests, the “basis for a new Ukraine was laid.”

The November 21 holiday also recognizes and honors the 2004 Orange Revolution.  The revolution also began in November, and marked the first majority vote for a pro-European Union candidate.

Approximately 21,000 law enforcement officials will be present at the ceremonies and demonstrations across Ukraine to ensure public order.

 

For more information, please see:

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty — Ukraine Marks Third Anniversary Euromaiden — 21 November 2016

RT — Ukraine Marks ‘Dignity & Freedom Day’ as Euromaiden Dream Falters — 21 November 2016

Ukraine Today — Ukraine Marks Day of Dignity and Freedom — 21 November 2016

Ukrinform — President Poroshenko Congratulates Ukrainians on the Day of Dignity and Freedom — 21 November 2016

 

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

 

BERLIN, Germany — German authorities have banned the Islamic group True Religion early Tuesday morning based on allegations of their recruiting efforts for the Islamic State.  True Religion is known for distributing German copies of the Quran as well as setting up “welcome tables” in busy parts of cities.  Police conducted raids in over 60 cities across Germany, and searched 190 mosques, apartments, and offices connected to the group.  Evidence was gathered with the intention of using it to reinforce the ban, however no arrests were made.

Thomas de Maizière, German interior minister, said that the ban was executed because True Religion was acting as a “collecting pool” for future Islamic fighters.  De Maizière insisted that the group was targeted because of its “work to foster violence,” not because of its religious ties and faith.  According to de Maizière, 140 of True Religion’s members have traveled to Iraq and/or Syria to fight on behalf of the Islamic State.

De Maizière emphasized that the ban is “directed against the abuse of religion by people propagating extremist ideologies and supporting terrorist organizations under the pretext of Islam.”  The group, also known as “READ!” often holds banners or wears garments with “READ!” embroidered in gold.  The ban will prohibit the group from running these types of campaigns in the future.

Authorities accuse the group of using their campaigns as a cover up for recruiting for the Islamic State.   These campaigns were the idea of Ibrahim Abou-Nagie, a Palestinian who preaches Salafism, a conservative form of Islam.  Abou-Nagie, a German national who has lived in the country for more than 30 years, has been on the radar of German authorities since 2005, when he set up a website that officials alleged spread extremist ideologies. Officials attempted to prosecute Abou-Nagie in 2012 on charges of incitement of religious hatred, however were unsuccessful.

True Religion’s Facebook page and website were offline Tuesday, however they condemned the raids through their Twitter account, saying “Dear brothers and sisters, the Quran has been banned in Germany. We brought Allah’s message to everyone. Allah u Akbar.”  They later posted a link to the Facebook page of the group’s UK branch.

A spokeswoman for the interior ministry clarified that there is no evidence True Religion was planning any form of attack itself.

 

For more information, please see:

CNN — Germany Bans Islamist Organization After Raids — 15 November 2016

The New York Times — Germany Bans ‘True Religion’ Muslim Group and Raids Mosques — 15 November 2016

Reuters — Germany Bans Islamist ‘True Religion’ Group, Raiding Mosques and Flats — 15 November 2016

The Washington Post — Germany Launches Raids Across 60 Cities, Bans Group on Suspicion of Islamic State Recruiting — 15 November 2016

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

MADRID, Spain — Approximately 80,000 people gathered in Barcelona at the Plaza de España on Sunday to show their support for Catalan leaders who are currently stuck in negotiations with Madrid over the independence of the Catalan region.  The Catalan separatists were protesting a series of legal challenges that the Spanish government has made against pro-independence Catalan political leaders.

Grassroots activist groups organized about 150 busses to transport protestors from all different parts of the region to the demonstration.  Fueled by the economic downturn in other parts of Spain, many in the wealthy region of Catalonia believe they pay higher taxes than they should to the Spanish government.  They resent supporting the poorer regions in Spain as a result of the decline of the economy in those other regions.

Catalan politicians are facing legal sanctions from the Spanish government for their participation in a 2014 secession referendum, as well as regional laws they developed in order to shape a path towards secession from Spain.

Specifically, former President of Catalonia Artur Mas, Speaker of the Parliament Carme Forcadell, and lawmakers Francesc Homs, Irene Rigau, and Joana Ortega are all being charged with disobeying the orders of the Constitutional Court of Spain.  Mas is scheduled to stand trial for charges of “serious disobedience” and “malfeasance.  If convicted, Mas faces a 10-year ban on holding any political office.  Both Mas and Forcadell attended the protest in Barcelona on Sunday.

Jodi Cuixart, president of the separatist group Omnium, spoke at the demonstration.  He spoke to the Spanish government, telling them that if they “attack our democratically elected representatives, you attack our institutions, all our people and our sovereignty, and we will never allow that.”  Cuixart ensured the Spanish government that the separatists “will never let our elected representatives down.”

The Spanish government has repeatedly maintained the position that regions such as Catalonia do not have a constitutional right to hold a referendum of separatist nature – a referendum that concerns the integrity of the country.

Catalonia’s current president, Carles Puigdemont, plans to hold another referendum regarding secession and independence by next September.  Puigdemont stated that this is a situation which “can only be solved politically.”

 

For more information, please see:

Expatica — 80,000 Gather for Catalan Pro-Independence Demo — 13 November 2016

Sputnik International — Thousands of People Rally Against Prosecution of Catalan Lawmakers in Barcelona — 13 November 2016

The Guardian — Thousands of Catalan Separatist’s Protest Against Government’s Legal Challenges — 13 November 2016

The Scotsman — Thousands Protest Spain’s Legal Challenge to Catalan Independence — 13 November 2016

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France — This past Monday, at 4:34pm, women across France staged a walk-out from their jobs in order to protest the disparity in salaries and wages between women and men.  Women’s rights group Les Glorieuses called for the protest, deciding that the issue of wage disparity finally needs to be addressed in France.  200 women were gathered in Place de la Republique by 5pm on Monday, and there were protests staged in other cities across France as well.  Thousands of women were seen on social media leaving their jobs on Monday afternoon.  The movement became known as “7 november 16h34.”

Les Glorieuses was inspired by a similar and successful protest in Iceland last month.  For the past 11 years, women in Iceland have been walking out on the same day and time that they should leave if they were to be paid the same hourly wage as men.  Iceland’s pay gap between men and women’s hourly wages is 14%.

In France, women were urged to leave at exactly 4:34pm because according to their calculations, after this point women will have been essentially working voluntarily.  In 2010, the gap between men and women’s average hourly wage was 15.5%, which means that a woman in France must work 38.2 days more than a male counterpart in order to be awarded the same salary.  Rebecca Amsellem, founder of Les Glorieuses, “thought the difference would maybe be 10 working days, not a month-and-a-half.”

Amsellem urged that at exactly 4:34pm on Monday, “women essentially stop being paid.”  Osez le Feminisme, another women’s rights group, is supporting the movement as well and has called on French companies to be fined if they do not respect equal pay laws.  Les Glorieuses also claims that factored in to the percentage of pay difference between men and women is the notion that women do 1.5 more hours of unpaid housework every day than men.

In recognition of the movement, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo suspended the city council for the afternoon. French minister for women’s rights, Laurence Rossignol, voiced her support for any women from her office who wished to take part in the protest. Rossignol told reports that “[w]hen women protest, they make visible what is invisible, when they speak their outrage and raise collective indignation even higher, I support it.”

 

For more information, please see:

BBC — Why did some French Women Walk out of Work Early? — 7 November 2016

IBT — Following Icelandic Example, Women in France Walked out of their Jobs at 4:34pm — 7 November 2016

The Local —  Women in France Urged to Walk out of Work Early — 7 November 2016

RT — French Women Stage Mass Walkout in Protest Against Wage Gap — 7 November 2016

The Washington Post — Women Across France will Leave Work at 4:34pm Today.  Here’s Why. — 7 November 2016

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

 

LONDON, England — The international governing body of soccer, FIFA, has rejected players’ requests to wear embroidered poppy flowers on their jerseys during a game between England and Scotland on November 11.  In the United Kingdom, November 11 is the day which memorializes those who have passed away in war.  Both England and Scotland have asked FIFA to allow them to wear the symbol out of respect for the Royal British Legion, which is a charity that sells poppy badges to raise funds for veterans.  British soccer teams traditionally honor a moment of silence and wear embroidered poppies on their jerseys on the weekend of November 11.

FIFA bans any political or religious messages on jerseys, and Scottish Football Association chief Stewart Regan supports FIFA’s position that the organization is “sticking to the letter of law.”  FIFA considers the poppy to be a political statement, and will not allow the symbol to be worn on international shirts unless special permission is given by the organization.

The ban has elicited public outrage from fans.  Falklands veteran Simon Weston supports the English Football Association’s position of risking an imposed fine, and allowing their players to wear the poppy on November 11 regardless of what FIFA decides.  Weston told reporters that both England and Scotland both “took part in both World Wars and should take the lead. They should pay any fine has to give them. This is not a political gesture.”

The Football Associations of England, Scotland, and Wales are set to meet with FIFA in the upcoming days to discuss whether players should be allowed to wear the poppies on their jerseys. These associations are curious to learn what punishments would be administered should they decide to ignore the ban and wear the poppies anyway, as there are rumors that one punishment could be point reduction.  The FAs ensure fans and players that they have “led remembrance discussions with FIFA to allow the England team to show its support for the poppy appeal during the World Cup qualifier with Scotland.”

In 2011, Scottish soccer players were allowed to wear armbands with an embroidered poppy on them after receiving special permission from FIFA.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC — FIFA ‘Rejects England & Scotland Request to Wear Poppies on Armbands’ — 1 November 2016

ESPN — FIFA Ban England and Scotland from Wearing Poppies in World Cup Qualifier — 1 November 2016

Independent — England vs. Scotland: Fifa Ban Poppy due to being a ‘Political Statement’ as FA make Contact to Find Solution — 1 November 2016

RT — FIFA Refuses to Allow British Teams Wear ‘Political’ Poppy on Shirts — 1 November 2016

Sky Sports — FA and FIFA Discuss Allowing Players to wear Poppies in England v Scotland Clash — 1 November 2016