Emma Vernon comments on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ban on political demonstrations, and the impact this has on freedom of political expression Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released a clarification on Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter. The charter has existed since the inception of the modern games and is essentially a summary […]
Protests
Celebrating Catalonia: Festivals Bringing the Region Together
Celebrating Catalonia: Festivals Bringing the Region Together Foreign Correspondent in Barcelona, Spain, Jasmine Zaman, explores how Catalonia is continuing to celebrate its festivals – despite debates over its independence. Background Behind Today’s Catalonia: The ruling of the illegal referendum two years ago and the decision to sentence nine Catalan leaders for up to thirteen years […]
Chile: It’s Not Thirty Pesos, It’s Thirty Years
Online Editor Ellie Cook writes about the spiralling chaos and widespread political protests spreading through Chile.
Hunger Games of XR
Sophia Thornton argues that the aggressive policing of Extinction Rebellion (XR) highlights the UK government’s reticence to combat the climate and ecological crisis
For Die-In out loud!
Catherine Lloyd ruminates on sustainability in the fashion industry post-London Fashion Week Fashion has always been political. From the politically loaded ‘Choose Life’ Katherine Hamnett slogan tees, to the donning of black on Hollywood’s red carpet amid the Time’s Up campaign; fashion is a tool that allows us to engage when we don’t have the necessary […]
Emmanuel Macron: A Centrist Myth?
Last April, France elected their youngest leader since Napoleon, Emmanuel Macron. A year on, the President of the Republic’s popularity is waning as his approval ratings continue to fall. Some critics say Macron’s centrist platform is a fallacy and correlate his actions, perceived to be far from centrist, to be the reason why. However, the […]
Politicising Campus Space: the meaning of anti-Beijing art at Hong Kong University
If you have been to the campus of Hong Kong University (and you definitely should: the university is set into a mountain and overlooks Victoria Harbour) you will likely have walked past a big, orange pillar outside the main MTR exit and Student Union canteen. It is unlikely that, as a visitor, you would have ventured into […]
South Africa’s University Riots: a plea for decolonisation?
Amidst the circus that was the US election, many other pressing issues have been marginalized. In particular, last month’s violent protests throughout universities in South Africa have been ignored in favour of faux reality TV. Education is viewed as a fundamental right, which everyone should be entitled to regardless of their socioeconomic group, and over the past […]
Trump’s victory – the domestic reaction
Texas Texas’ polls saw a ten-point margin afforded to President-Elect Trump this past Tuesday, when he won 53% of the conservative state’s votes, compared to Clinton’s 43%. Although Texas’ Republican-leaning reputation comes as no surprise, the result of the election did. The shock of Trump’s unprecedented success was – and continues to be – felt […]
Beijing versus Hong Kong: my experience at a Hong Kong pro-democracy protest
The last few weeks in Hong Kong have been riddled with political turmoil following the election. This came to a head on the 6th November when protesters marched from Wan Chai to Sai wan in Sai Ying Pun district. The cause of this protest? Two of Hong Kong’s elected lawmakers are being barred from standing, […]