Human Rights In Europe? Check #pman
- April 23rd, 2009
- Posted by EUEditor
“Twitter†helped out this month when protestors needed some mass communication tools, in Moldova, the latest problem area in the perpetual watch on freedom.
Voting in the small Balkans country (5.4.09) returned its communist government, which brought out protestors in the capital, Chisinau, claiming irregularities in the poll, (see EUAustralia, “Tragedy and Trouble … Troubles in Moldovaâ€, 9.4.09).
They have told the French news agency AFP, that they were set back by getting no access to television, and by the mobile phone network going down – either through official intervention or just plain overload.
Instead they called in Twitter, the “real time social messaging tool†used by almost everybody from Mr Nobody to several global celebs and President Barack Obama himself.
News and views and information for organising the protests were put up using the tag #pman, standing for the main square in the capital, and venue for demonstrations, Â Piata Marii Adunari Nationale.
Blogs, Facebook and SMS also played a part in keeping up momentum.
While freedom is common currency in Europe in this Century, blindspots keep appearing.
Sharing the billing this month with Moldova was an incident in Slovakia, where the Prime Minister, Robert Fico (picture), made threats against news media, over reportage to which he objected, (see EUAustralia, “Worry over media freedom …, 9.4.09).
Reference:
AFP, “Moldova protestors use Twitter to beat communist censorsâ€, 9.4.09.
Pictures:
Moldova protestors cheer Twitter, digiactive.org; Chisinau protest, worldform.org.; Logo for Twitter.