Today Shoko Kambara and I are revealing through our coloring page a few important protests in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Africa: Protesters took to the streets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) capital to express support for Denis Mukwege, a Nobel laureate who says he has received death threats. Mukwege was co-recipient of the 2018 Novel Prize for Peace, recognized for his efforts to help war rape victims and "end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict" in eastern DRC. Mr. Mukwege supported “investigations and prosecutions for atrocities that took the lives of millions of people in the region and have included the mass sexual violence that caused thousands of women and girls to seek and receive treatment from Dr Mukwege and his colleagues at Panzi Hospital."
Europe: There was a fourth Sunday of protests in Belarus. Tens of thousands of “protesters flooded into towns and cities, signaling the depth of anger at President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has shown no sign of bending despite repeated calls to resign”. The protestors waved red and white flags, formerly the national flag until Mr. Lukashenko replaced it a year after he took office with a more Soviet-looking standard.”
Asia: Hong Kong police broke up protests over delayed election. Nearly 300 people were arrested during protests in Hong Kong on Sunday, the scheduled date for a legislative election. The election was postponed for one year because of the pandemic, but many in the pro-democracy camp accused the government of stalling to avoid the defeat of establishment candidates. The protests were also an expression of public anger at a draconian security law imposed by Beijing that is silencing dissent.
I am hopeful that the current unrest in the world will result in inclusive and balanced societies.