2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
On 1 February, the Royal Palace announced that King Abdullah II had sacked the government as a consequence of the street protests and had asked Marouf al-Bakhit, an ex-army general, to form a new cabinet. Abdullah told al-Bakhit his authority will be to "take quick, concrete and practical steps to launch a genuine political reform process,". The reforms should put Jordan on the path "to strengthen democracy," and provide Jordanians with the "dignified life they deserve," the monarch said. He also asked al-Bakhit for a "comprehensive assessment ... to correct the mistakes of the past." and also the statement said Abdullah demanded an "immediate revision" of laws governing politics and public freedoms.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
Bakhit stated that opposition groups, both Islamist and leftists, might possibly be included in the new government, but the Islamic Action Front immediately rejected that offer, stating that the current political conditions did not allow for them to join the government and that they were looking for real reform. Despite calls to stay away from the new government, the Islamic Action Front and five leftists were represented in a new government sworn in on 10 February.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
There were also talks of reforming electoral law to reduce gerrymandering in constituency boundaries and guarantee greater proportionality. Taher Odwan, formerly editor-in-chief of Al Arab Al Yawm, a Jordanian newspaper, that was critical towards the government, was appointed minister of media affairs and communications. Odwan pledged enhanced press freedoms and access to information. A$500m package of price cuts in fuel and staples, including sugar and rice, was announced, along with salary increases for civil servants and the military.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
On 11 February, following Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation, the Muslim Brotherhood stated that "Arab regimes should learn a lesson from what has happened [in Egypt]."


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
On 15 February, the Public Gatherings Law was reformed to allow unrestricted freedom of expression; the former law required permission from the governor to hold demonstrations. A reform of the electoral law was also promised.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
On 15 March, King Abdullah II said a 53-member committee with government officials and opposition leaders would draft new laws for parliamentary elections and political parties, setting a three-month deadline for agreement on political reforms. However, the Muslim Brotherhood said it would not take part unless parliament is dissolved and a prime minister is elected from a parliamentary majority.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
On 28 March, three days after deadly clashes between protesters and supporters of the king, King Abdullah II called for national unity, telling his citizens to avoid "any behaviour or attitude that would affect our unity." He went on to state that economic and political reforms were on their way. However, the Parliament rejected calls to reduce the king's power. As a response to the same violent clashes, 15 members of the government-appointed committee for national dialogue quit, effectively suspending its activity, although 12 of them retracted their resignations following a meeting with the king. The government decided to ban its supporters from demonstrating in the capital, while the opposition was allowed to demonstrate in specially designated areas in Amman.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
On 12 June, in a television speech commemorating 12 years on the throne, the king said he would relinquish his right to appointprime ministers and cabinets, instead, elected parliamentary majority would be the ones to form future cabinets. He also said that more reforms would be announced in the future, including new election and political party laws.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
Prime minister Al Bakhit resigned on 17 October, after 70 of 120 deputies had called for his resignation for failing to swiftly implement the political reform package. King Abdullah appointed Awn al-Khasawneh as the new prime minister.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
In April 2012, Prime Minister Awn al-Khasawneh resigns abruptly, was unable to satisfy either demands for reform or establishment fears of empowering the opposition. King Abdullah appointed former prime minister Fayez al-Tarawneh to succeed him.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, Domestic response
On 4 October 2012, King Abdullah II dissolves the parliament for new early elections, and appointed Abdullah Ensour as the new prime minister of Jordan.


2011–2012 Jordanian protests, Response, International response
United States – State Department spokesman Mark Toner says the Obama administration believes King Abdullah II is on the "right track" despite the protests, ""We call on protestors to do so peacefully. We support King Abdullah II's roadmap for reform and the aspirations of the Jordanian people to foster a more inclusive political process that will promote security, stability as well as economic development."


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey
The 2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey are ongoing protests in Turkey, led by the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), against restrictions of Kurdish rights by of the country's Kurdish minority's rights. Although they are the latest in a long series of protest actions by Kurds in Turkey, they are strongly influenced by the concurrent popular protests throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and the Turkish publication Hürriyet Daily News has suggested that the popularly dubbed "Arab Spring" that has seen revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia may lead to a "Kurdish Summer" in the northern reaches of the Middle East. Protesters have taken to the streets both in İstanbul and in southeast Turkey, with some demonstrations also reported as far west in Anatolia as İzmir.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey
From 24 March and 10 May, a total of 2 protesters were killed, 308 injured and 2,506 detained by Turkish authorities.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey
The protests declined in July after a new breakout of violence between state forces and Kurdistan Workers' Party rebels.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Background
There are currently 14 to 20 million Kurds in Turkey, living predominantly in the southeast of the country. The Kurdish people are a unique ethnic group with their own language and customs. In Turkey, the Kurdish uprising dates back to at least 1925, but the most recent major rebellion started in 1978 and has crossed the border into adjacent Iraqi Kurdistan on a number of occasions. Over 3,000 Kurdish villages have been "evacuated" by the Turkish armed forces since the conflict began.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Background
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist group listed as a terrorist organization by the governments of Turkey and the United States, demands autonomy for Turkish Kurdistan. It has also called upon Turkish authorities to release Kurdish prisoners and detainees, overturn a ban on Kurdish-language education, and cease military action against Kurdish groups. In 2009, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched a "Kurdish initiative" aiming to broaden cultural rights for Kurds, but many Kurdish protesters have said this does not go far enough.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Background
On 28 February 2011, the PKK announced an end to a unilateral ceasefire it had declared in August 2010, prompting Erdoğan to comment on the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) over its alleged collusion with the militant group. "A political party that is in Parliament hurling out threats ... during every election period puts pressure on people who want to exercise their democratic will and serves no other purpose," the prime minister said.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Background, Censorship
Internet censorship is practiced by the government of Turkey. A number of websites, including those of pro-Kurdish and alternative news outlets such as Voice of America, Bianet, and Azadiya Welat, are subject to a filter imposed by the Turkish Council of State. Bianet reported that according to new regulations adopted by the government in late February, this filter will be expanded from blocking access to certain websites from Internet cafés to affect all Internet access points and ISPs in Turkey sometime in the near future.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Background, Censorship
On 13 March 2011, The New York Times reported a turnout of "thousands" for a march in İstanbul protesting censorship of the press and the arrest of over a dozen journalists by Turkish authorities since the start of the month. The Turkish media advocacy group Freedom to Journalists Platform said Turkey held 68 journalists as of mid-March, including many on charges of "inciting public hatred" and similar offenses, though the government maintains only 27 journalists are incarcerated on unrelated charges.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, March
In a statement published online on 24 March, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) announced the immediate beginning of a civil disobedience campaign, beginning with a strike and sit-in in Diyarbakır, the largest city in the Kurdish region. The government responded by deploying soldiers and Army vehicles to break up the unsanctioned demonstration, which drew about 3,000 participants. Just a fraction of these participants—a few dozen MPs and Kurdish city officials, including the mayor of Diyarbakır—were permitted to proceed to the sit-in venue, while thousands more demonstrators thronged outside and shouted angry slogans. Police clashed with demonstrators, some of whom attempted to attack officers with fireworks, and detained five. A similar scene erupted in Batman, where a larger number of protesters were reportedly detained and protest tents were forcibly taken down.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, March
Demonstrations spread to İstanbul, İzmir, Silopi, and Antalya by 27 March. Protest camps also sprang up in Tunceli, Muş, Van, and Ağrı. Several dozen protesters were arrested.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, March
Protest leader and MP Selahattin Demirtaş said that the Peace and Democracy Party was determined to carry out civil disobedience actions across the Kurdish region and condemned the governor of Diyarbakır Province for declaring the protests unlawful. Fellow Kurdish leader Ahmet Türk said they will continue the sit-in action despite the pressure from the Turkish authorities. "The prime minister who sends greetings to Tahrir Square while sending tanks and gas bombs at us should know that the [Kurdish] people have been seeking their freedom in their [own] Tahrir Squares," said Demirtaş, referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his favorable stance toward Egyptian revolutionaries.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, March
About 40,000 people marched to the alleged site of mass graves of Kurds in Siirt Province on 28 March. The protest march spun off into rioting in the province. In Batman and Diyarbakır, two of the original sites of protests as part of the civil disobedience campaign, media reported Turkish security forces detained several more protesters.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
Demirtaş ratcheted up the civil disobedience campaign by Kurdish protesters on 6 April by accusing imams sent by the government to lead prayers in Turkey's southeast of supporting and spying for the ruling Justice and Development Party and urging Kurds not to pray behind them. Demirtaş also said that sermons in Kurdish parts of the country should only be given in Kurdish, a policy Erdoğan opposes.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
At Friday prayers in Diyarbakır on 8 April, a number of Kurds boycotted in solidarity with the BDP, with many holding signs and banners supporting Demirtaş and the protests as others prayed. At least one newspaper ran photographs of the boycott.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
On 11 April, the conservative Turkish weekly Aksiyon published allegations that "militant imams" loyal to the PKK intend to promote terrorism among Kurds by portraying PKK fighters killed in clashes with government forces as martyrs. According to the report, imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan devised the plan from behind bars. It also alleged that the banned PKK is using the BDP as a political front.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
On 19 April, Turkey's elections board ruled that 12 Kurdish politicians who had registered as independent candidates were barred from running in the June parliamentary elections. The politicians included Leyla Zana, who has spent ten years in prison for alleged PKK membership despite a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that her imprisonment violated freedom of speech.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
Kurds angry over the ban rallied in Hakkâri, Şırnak, İstanbul, Van, and Diyarbakır. More than 2,000 protesters gathered in Taksim Square on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey's largest city. Police used tear gas to disperse the protest, which reportedly injured several, including at least one police officer. Shopkeepers and workers went on strike in Hakkâri and Van. Van also saw clashes between protesters and Turkish gendarmes, with its Kurdish mayor being among the demonstrators injured in the fighting, and scuffles were also reported in Diyarbakır, where a 15-year-old boy was reportedly hospitalized after being shot and injured by police. The semi-official Anatolian Agency claimed significant property damage in the city of Diyarbakır and said police confiscated several Molotov cocktails brought to the demonstration by Kurdish protesters.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
On 20 April, police fired live rounds at protesters in Bismil. One protester was killed, four were injured, and at least 16 were arrested. The incident drew outrage from the Kurdish community, with Selahattin Demirtaş canceling a planned meeting with President Abdullah Gül in Ankara over the shooting.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
The elections board reversed its decision to bar several Kurdish political candidates on 21 April after facing massive outcry. Some journalists expected this to be the end of intensified protests and rioting. Nonetheless, the Anatolian Agency reported that one police officer and two civilians were injured in rioting in Batman on the same day. The semi-official news agency alleged that Kurdish protesters attacked police with rocks, firebombs, and gunfire. It also said three people were hospitalized in Van Province after Kurdish demonstrators set fire to a bank with a Molotov cocktail. Police reportedly employed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the riot.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
According to a report in the pro-government daily Zaman, alleged PKK supporters threw Molotov cocktails at a house in suburban Şanlıurfa while a family was sleeping there on the night of 23 April, seriously damaging the property but causing only minor injuries. Police detained two in connection with the incident.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
Zaman claimed pro-BDP protesters in Ergani attacked buildings and gendarmes with Molotov cocktails and firecrackers. It also reported that 32 rioters in Batman were detained after a crowd of demonstrators pelted police with stones and tried to set fire to shops. These demonstrations came just days after international media reported an easing of tensions in southeast Turkey following the reversal of a ban on several Kurdish parliamentary candidates. The Anatolian Agency reported that two off-duty soldiers, wearing civilian clothes, were shot from behind in Yüksekova, leaving both injured. It also claimed rioting, including stone- and firebomb-throwing, in Bismil, which police reportedly used tear gas and water cannon to disperse.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
In the early morning of 25 April, police raided and dismantled numerous "democratic solution" tents and arrested protesters in 17 provinces across Turkey, Bianet reported. One MP was reportedly injured in a scuffle with police.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
BDP supporters protested violently in the Aksaray neighborhood of İstanbul, attacking police, vehicles, and shops, Zaman alleged. Turkish authorities also arrested 35 in Hakkâri on alleged PKK ties. In response, more than 20,000 Kurds living near the international border with Iraq marched to a border crossing and threatened to enter Iraqi Kurdistan in a show of defiance unless the 35 were released, forcing Peace and Democracy Party officials to intervene. The protesters eventually returned to their homes.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
On 26 April, about 20,000 in southeast Turkey reportedly turned out to protest the detention of alleged PKK supporters in Hakkâri, according to media. About 10,000 protesters set off on a march from Hakkâri to Van, according to Kurdish officials.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
Police detained 17 in Manisa's Kurdish quarter and tore down BDP-backed "democratic solution" tents and protest camps in Tunceli, Manisa, İzmir, Mardin, and Şırnak. Authorities said they were searching for Molotov cocktails and took down tents where they purportedly found the makeshift firebombs.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
On 27 April, demonstrators hurled Molotov cocktails at riot police located near Aksaray metro station, which prompted the police to use tear gas to disperse the protesters. The demonstrators were mostly dispersed, although a small group remained in Aksaray, broadcaster NTV reported.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed PKK leader, called for a violent rebellion against the Turkish government on 29 April at a meeting with his lawyers, Turkish daily Vatan reported.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
Turkish police conducted raids on 30 April in Batman, İstanbul, and Mardin, among other districts, and arrested 70 "agitators" authorities said were trained by the PKK to organize demonstrations and exploit chaos created by Kurdish protests.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, April
In Muş, Prime Minister Erdoğan said, "There is no longer a Kurdish question in this country." He said Turkey only has to address the needs of individual Kurds as ordinary citizens of the republic. He called Kurds and Turks "brothers" and attacked both the PKK and the BDP, saying, "We can't get anywhere with those who try to set one brother against another. We can't get anywhere with those who are trying to divide this country."


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, May
Kurds had a presence at the peaceful May Day demonstrations on 1 May in İstanbul's Taksim Square and elsewhere throughout Turkey, along with several other minority and advocacy groups. Several speakers called upon authorities to release jailed journalists, MPs, and city officials, including those arrested in Turkish Kurdistan during the previous months' protests, eliciting applause from the crowds in Taksim Square.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, May
Thousands of Kurds in Diyarbakır turned out on 4 May for the funeral of alleged Kurdistan Workers' Party fighters killed the previous week as part of the Kurdish–Turkish conflict, Reuters reported.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, May
On 15 May, Turkish military forces killed twelve PKK rebels who were crossing from northern Iraq (Kurdistan Regional Government) into Turkey, while losing one of their own soldiers to an exploding mine. The next day, thousands of protesters turned out in Diyarbakir, and several hundred staged sit-ins and various other protests in Istanbul. Around 100 people, some allegedly from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party contesting the upcoming Turkish elections, crossed the border to retrieve two bodies who were left at the site of the ambush. Demonstrations in Diyarbakir turned violent.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Main Phase, June
During the 12 June 2011 national elections the BDP nominated 61 independent candidates, winning 2,819,917 votes or 6.57% and increasing its number of seats from 20 to 36. The BDP won the most support in Şırnak (72.87%), Hakkâri (70.87%), Diyarbakır (62.08%) and Mardin (62.08%) Provinces.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Post-Election
Pro -Kurdish protesters turned out in Istanbul, marching to a major mosque to protest a ruling by the Turkish board of elections disqualifying Hatip Dicle of BDP from his seat in Parliament. Several candidates elected on the BDP slate were stripped of office over the weekend, some of them because the board determined that they could not hold office while imprisoned. Protesters claim the removed MPs are political prisoners and that Turkish authorities are denying Kurds their elected representation. The ruling AK Party picked up several additional seats in Parliament due to the disqualifications, compounding Kurdish anger. Riot police assembled in Istanbul to block the protest march, firing tear gas. Al Jazeera reported that only after the tear gas was deployed did protesters become violent, assaulting officers with stones and metal poles, but police succeeded in dispersing the demonstration. No serious injuries were reported.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Post-Election
After 12 June, Turkish elections, large scale hostilities between the Turkish government and the PKK were resumed leading to the heaviest violence in the country since the 1990s. The rise in armed violence between Kurdish militants and the Turkish state coincided with a sharp decline of peaceful activities such as protests. According to ex-PKK leader Nizamettin Taş the Turkish state was successful in dealing a blow to the protest movement by arresting so many KCK activists.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Post-Election
Another protest took place on Hakkâri after army's bombing of PKK camps in Qandil mountains, and a member of BDP who was protesting the air assault, was killed by police.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Uludere Protests
After the Uludere airstrike killed 34 to 50 Kurdish civilians, major protests followed in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish cities, most notably Diyarbakir where protests turned violent and police used batons and tear gas against protesters and protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails at police. Protests were also held in Ankara and Istanbul, where over 1,000 protesters gathered in Taksim Square and threw stones at police and smashed vehicles before police dispersed the crowds with tear gas and water cannons.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Uludere Protests
District governor Naif Yavuz, who was from the beginning on together with the smugglers at the autopsy and the funeral service, paid later a visit to house of the relatives of the victims for condolence. Shortly after his visit, he was attacked by a mob, which attempted to lynch him. He barely escaped the attack with the help of his security guards, however, was hospitalized for his injuries. It turned out to be an act of people, who came outside the village. It has been alleged that BDP deputy Hasip Kaplan was behind this attack.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Uludere Protests
On 3 January, Turkish authorities, although denying any misconduct by the armed forces, agreed to pay compensation to the families of the civilians who had been killed in the bombing.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Early 2012
Some 300 Kurds protested in Istanbul against the arrest of 49 alleged KCK members by Turkish authorities


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Early 2012
Tens of thousands of Kurds protested to demand Öcalan's freedom on the 13th anniversary of his capture.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Early 2012
Demonstrations were held in Adana, Adıyaman, Antep, Batman, Bingöl, Tunceli, Elazığ, Erzurum, Iğdır, Hatay, Kars, Mersin, Siirt, Van and its Bostaniçi, Gevaş, Muradiye, Gürpınar and Saray districts, Ağrı and its Doğubayazıt district, Hakkari and its Yüksekova district, Muş and its Bulanık district, Diyarbakir and its Kocaköy, Hilvan, Bismil, Silvan and Dicle districts, Şanlıurfa and its Viranşehir, Suruç and Ceylanpınar districts, Mardin and its Midyat, Kızıltepe, Derik, Dargeçit, Mazıdağı and Nusaybin districts, Şırnak and its Güçlükonak, Cizre and Beytüşşebap districts as well as İzmir, Aydın, Istanbul and Bodrum. Police arrested three in Diyarbakir and 24 in Istanbul when attempting to stop the demonstrations. In Cizre street fighting between rioters and police lasted for hours.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Newroz protests
after the BDP and PKK both called for protests, tens of thousands of protesters came together in Diyarbakir waving Kurdish flags and holding up posters of Abdullah Ocalan, chanting "long live the leader Apo," and "the PKK is the people." Hundreds of riot police backed by armored vehicles and helicopters took up strategic positions in the city to prevent several marches from coming together in one large crowd. This resulted in widespread rioting all over the city in which rioters burned down at least four mobile telephone relay stations.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Newroz protests
In Istanbul police tried to prevent two groups of 1,000 protesters from coming together. Haci Zengin, the head of an Istanbul branch of the BDP, was killed during the protests after being hit on the head by a tear gas canister. Police detained 106 people at the demonstration and nine were injured


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Newroz protests
Two police officers were shot in Yuksekova in Hakkari province. In Batman, Ahmet Turk was taken to hospital after suffering from the effects of teargas fired to disperse crowds at the protests he was attending, a total of 15 people were injured during protests in the city. In Şanlıurfa police fired pressurized water as well as live ammunition at a protest attended by Leyla Zana, in which one protester was arrested. In Mersin a great number of protesters were also arrested. In Cizre over 5,000 protesters clashed with police, hurling petrol bombs and fireworks at the police. Police also clashed with demonstrators in Istanbul. A total of 24 people were injured. One of the policemen injured in Yuksekova died of his wounds the next day.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Newroz protests
Protests continued for a fourth day. Though less violent than the protests on previous days, this marked the most violent Nowruz celebration since the 1990s. At the same day PKK attacks killed 5 policemen in the mountains outside Sirnak and injured one in a bombing of the AKP's Diyarbakir headquarters.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, April–September 2012
Diyarbakır was the scene of major protests and clashes between Kurds and the police as the pro-Kurdish BDP insisted on holding a rally to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the 1982 hunger strike in Diyarbakır prison in which Mazlum Doğan, Kemal Pir, Hayri Durmuş, Ali Çiçek and Akif Yılmaz died. The rally that had been banned by the provincial government. Over 10,000 police were used to prevent the protesters from gathering in İstasyon Square while over 300 BDP protests held sit-ins in Sümer Park.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, April–September 2012
According to the Turkish government, the protests resulted in 76 injured, including 23 policemen, although human rights organizations believe the number may be much higher. The injured included BDP Deputy President Pervin Buldan, BDP MPs Ayla Akat Ata from Batman and Mülkiye Birtane from Kars, the BDP's Diyarbakır Provincial Head Zübeyde Zümrüt, Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir and Remzi Akkaya. 87 people were arrested.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, April–September 2012
A protest is held after a speech by Leyla Zana calling for Abdullah Öcalan to be transferred from prison to house arrest. Police arrested over 100 people at the protest.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, April–September 2012
Thousands of people rallied in Cizre to attend a protest organized by the BDP, attended by Cizre mayor Mustafa Gören. The Turkish government did not give permission for the protest to be held, citing display of pro-PKK propaganda as the reason. Police were sent to break up the protest and violence ensued.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Hunger Strike
On 12 September, on the anniversary of the 1980 Turkish coup d'état some 70 Kurdish prisoners went on hunger strike and were soon joined by over 600 others. Some 682 inmates in 67 prisons went on hunger-strike, demanding improved prison conditions and eventual house arrest or full release of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan as well as increased cultural rights for Kurdish people, including Kurdish language education and the right to defend themselves in court, in Kurdish.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Hunger Strike
On the 49th day of the hunger strike, protests were held in Diyarbakır, Van, Hakkâri, Cizre and Silopi, all stores were closed and streets were empty aside from protesters which marched in solidarity with the hunger strike. Over 10,000 protesters clashed with police in Diyarbakır, which used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Nine people were detained.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Hunger Strike
Several thousand Kurds held a protest march in Diyarbakır in support of a hunger strike held in Turkish prisons by Kurdish political prisoners. The protesters clashed with police, who used tear gas and water cannon, throwing stones and firebombs at the police. As part of the protest, all shops were closed and families didn't send their children to school. In Van several thousand people also marched towards the town's prison, were 182 inmates were in a hunger strike. In Istanbul a sit-in was held by a group of protesters which were dispersed by 100 policemen using pepper spray. Protesters attempted to march to a tent in Okmeydanı were Peace Mothers were camping, but the tent was attacked by police which used tear gas on the women. 10 people suffered injuries and 18 were detained.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Hunger Strike
Protests in Cizre and Diyarbakir at a funeral of a PKK fighter killed by the Turkish military, resulted in clashes between protesters and riot police. 20 protesters were arrested.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Hunger Strike
Over 10,000 people joined the hunger strike in solidarity after Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan denied the hunger strike's existence and refused to meet any of its demands. Erdogan's hard line reaction is contrary to the more moderate President Abdullah Gul, revealing a split in the government's approach to the Kurdish issue in the lead-up to the 2013 presidential election. It is also further evidence of the blossoming relationship between the Turkish government and the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraqi Kurdistan.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Hunger Strike
Abdullah Öcalan calls on the 1,700 hunger-strikers to end their strike, stating it had achieved its goals.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Timeline, Hunger Strike
In response to Öcalan's call to end the hunger strikes, the inmates' spokesman Deniz Kaya released the following statement: "On the basis of our leader's call ... we end our protest as of November 18, 2012," and the hunger strike was ended.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, International reaction
In April, members of the Kurdish diaspora in London staged a week-long protest camp and marched through Haringey to show solidarity with Kurds from Turkey.


2011–2012 Kurdish protests in Turkey, Anti-PKK Protests, 17 July
Several hundred Turks marched in Istanbul to protest the killing of 13 Turkish soldiers in Diyarbakir by PKK militants. Riot police endeavored to keep protesters away from an ethnically Kurdish neighborhood, fearing clashes might erupt.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis
The 2011–2012 Maldives political crisis began as a series of peaceful protests that broke out in the Maldives on 1 May 2011. They would continue, eventually escalating into the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed in disputed circumstances in February 2012. Demonstrators were protesting what they considered the government's mismanagement of the economy and were calling for the ouster of President Mohamed Nasheed.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis
The main political opposition party in the country, the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party) led by the former president of the country Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (who was in power for over 30 years under an authoritarian system) accused President Nasheed of "talking about democracy but not putting it into practice." The protests occurred during the Arab Spring.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis
The primary cause for the protests was rising commodity prices and a poor economic situation in the country.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis
The protests led to a resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed on 7 February 2012, and the Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik was sworn as the new president of Maldives. Nasheed stated the following day that he was forced out of office at gunpoint, while Waheed supporters maintained that the transfer of power was voluntary and constitutional. A later British Commonwealth meeting concluded that it could not "determine conclusively the constitutionality of the resignation of President Nasheed", but called for an international investigation. The Maldives' National Commission of Inquiry, appointed to investigate the matter, found that there was no evidence to support Nasheed's version of events.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis
In April 2012, it was announced that new elections were to be held in July 2013; they eventually took place later in 2013.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Background
Following nearly 30 years of rule by then-President Maumoon Gayoom, marked by allegations of autocratic rule, human rights abuses and corruption, violent protests in 2004 and 2005 led to a series of major reforms to the Maldives. The protests were organized by president Mohamed Nasheed and his party. Internal and international pressure forced then-President Gayoom to legalize political parties and improve the democratic process. Multi-party, multi-candidate elections were held on 9 October 2008, with 5 candidates running against Gayoom.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Background
A 28 October runoff election between Gayoom and Nasheed resulted in a 54-percent majority for Nasheed and his vice-president candidate Mohammed Waheed. A former journalist and political prisoner, Nasheed was a staunch critic of the Gayoom regime. In a speech prior to handing over power to his successor on 11 November 2008, Gayoom said: "I deeply regret any actions on my part ... (that) led to unfair treatment, difficulty or injustice for any Maldivian."


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Background
At the time, Nasheed was detained and imprisoned several times since the age of 20, for heavy criticisms against Gayoom's administration and its officials in relation with election fraud and high-profile corruption. Nasheed was tortured and treated inhumanely in detention. Gayoom was the longest serving leader of any Asian country, serving for 30 years.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Background
Mohamed Nasheed was elected president in 2008, becoming the first president to be elected by a multi-party democracy in the Maldives, and Dr. Waheed was the first elected Vice President in the Maldives. Their election victory ended the 30-year dictatorship of President Gayoom. Nasheed and the new government implemented many reforms in the country. In 2009, President Nasheed was awarded the Anna Lindh Award for bringing democracy to the Maldives. He has received many awards and international recognition for his role in bringing democracy to the country.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Background
Despite major political reforms, however, the Maldivian economy continued to suffer. Many factors have created for a poor economic situation in the Maldives, including the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which devastated the Maldivian economy and caused serious damage on most of the islands of the Maldives. The 2007–2008 world food price crisis caused major rise in inflation, especially on food prices and the late-2000s recession created a tough economic situation in developing nations. There were improvements in the economy, however, as the Maldives was rated up in 2011 from being considered "least developed country". Furthermore, Nasheed faced issues during mid-2010, when Parliament members began resigning en masse.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Background
The Arab Spring broke out across the Arab world and had worldwide influence, including in the Maldives, which shares historic, cultural, regional and religious connections to the Middle Eastern countries facing protests. A GlobalPost article says that many in the international community consider Mohammed Nasheed the "Godfather of the Arab Spring" for his role in bringing democracy to the Maldives and the peaceful protests which led to his election as president.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, December 2011 demonstration
On 23 December 2011, the opposition held a mass symposium with as many as 20,000 people in the name of protecting Islam, which they believed Nasheed's government was unable to maintain in the country. The mass event became the foundation of a campaign that brought about social unrest within the capital city.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Attempted arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed
On 16 January 2012, the Maldives military, on orders from the interior ministry, arrested Judge Abdulla Mohamed, the chief justice of the Maldives Criminal Court, on charges he was blocking the prosecution of corruption and human rights cases against allies of former President Gayoom.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Attempted arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed
Weeks of protests and demonstrations ensued, led by local police dissidents who opposed Nasheed's 16 January arrest order against Chief Justice Abdulla Mohamed.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Attempted arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed
On 7 February, Nasheed ordered the police and army to subdue the anti-government protesters. Police came out to protest against the government instead.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Attempted arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed
President Mohamed Nasheed resigned the same day by letter, and followed that with a televised public address. Nasheed later stated that he was forced to resign at gunpoint through a police mutiny and coup led by President Waheed. There have been disputes over exactly what happened that day. Nasheed's vice president, Mohammed Waheed Hassan, was sworn in the same day as President in accordance with the Constitution at the People's Majlis in front of the Chief Justice. Waheed had opposed the arrest order and supported the opposition that forced Mohamed Nasheed to resign, but despite allegations he denied involvement in the coup.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, 2012 protests and resignation
Nasheed resigned on 7 February 2012 following weeks of protests after he ordered the military to arrest Abdulla Mohamed, the Chief Justice of the Criminal Court, on 16 January. Maldives police joined the protesters after refusing to use force on them and took over the state-owned television station forcibly switching the broadcast opposition party leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's call for people to come out to protest. The Maldives Army then clashed with police and other protesters who were with the police. All this time no one of the protester tried to invade any security facility including headquarters of MNDF. The Chief Justice was released from detention after Nasheed resigned from his post.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, 2012 protests and resignation
Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik was sworn as the new president of Maldives. Former President Nasheed's supporters clashed with the security personnel during a rally on 12 July 2012, seeking ouster of President Waheed.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, 2012 protests and resignation, Use of force by Nasheed
Nasheed notoriously ordered very little use of force against the protests throughout most of the demonstrations. However, it was during his three years as president that the most frequent use of tear gas on public occurred. It was claimed that he ordered the police and security forces to use force against the protests in late January too as the protests were reaching escalating. It is claimed that police mutinied as a result of this.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, 2012 protests and resignation, Use of force by the opposition
Following the coup, the new government reacted very harshly to the counter-protests. Amnesty International has been very critical of the coup-implanted government's use of force. There have been many injured, many arrested, and at least one death committed by the post-coup government's security reactions to the counter-protests.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2011, May (initial protests)
The first protests occurred on 1 May 2011, with thousands gathering in the capital Malé. Protests continued the following day with thousands gathering in the capital and reported clashes with police and protesters. On 3 May, over 2,000 demonstrators clashed with Maldivian security forces in Male. Riot police reportedly used tear gas to disperse the protesters. Protests again broke out again on 4 May. Police used force to break up demonstrators and eyewitnesses say that police arrested a senior opposition activist. On May fifth, protesters began their protests at Artificial Beach. In the fifth night of demonstrations Parliamentarian and DRP youth Council President Mr. Ahmed Mahloof, Maldives national football team forward Assad Ali and several others was arrested.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2011, December (opposition parties alliance)
An opposition alliance (Madhanee Ithihaad) was formed in December 2011, including all the parties that supported the President in his 2008 presidential race. Those parties included the Gaumee Party, the Jumhoory Party, and the Adhaalath Party (Islamist party). On 23 December, the capital city saw major opposition protests against Nasheed and his government. Former cabinet minister Mohamed Jameel Ahmed was repeatedly summoned to the police station in connection with the protests, at one point being detained at Dhoonidhoo, a Maldivian prison island.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2011, December (opposition parties alliance)
On 23 December 2011, the opposition held a mass symposium with as many as 20,000 people in the name of protecting Islam, which they believed Nasheed's government was unable to maintain in the country. The mass event became the foundation of a campaign that brought about social unrest within the capital city of Male.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, January (arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed)
On 16 January 2012, the Maldives military, on orders from President Nasheed, arrested Judge Abdulla Mohamed, the chief justice of the Maldives Criminal Court, on charges he was blocking the prosecution of corruption and human rights cases against allies of former President Gayoom. The opposition claims that the arrest was unconstitutional.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, January (arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed)
The arrest of Judge Mohamed was the ignition for further protests. Due to the arrest of the judge the opposition parties' protests gained momentum and demanded Judge Abdulla Mohamed's immediate release. During the detention of the judge, the HRCM was able to visit him in his place of detention, a military training base, and confirm his safety.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, January (arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed)
Opposition leaders also called for an independent investigation into the constitutionality of the arrest, a call echoed by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, the Judicial Services Commission, the Prosecutor General's Office, the International Commission of Jurists, Amnesty International, and the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner. Military and police rejected the orders by High Court to release the Abdulla Mohamed.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, January (arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed)
The opposition's protest in the Republic Square lasted for 22 days. On 6 February 2012, the Maldives Police Service declined to use force to control or disperse the protests and joined the protest.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, February
There was an escalation in the protests and some protesters attacked the opposition-linked VTV television station. The police began a mutiny in late January. On 7 February, the protests reached their climax, with the military firing tear gas at demonstrators and police who were swarming the National Defence Force headquarters. In early hours of 7 February 2012, President Mohamed Nasheed was seen inside the military headquarters. The Maldives National Defense Force subsequently had a standoff with police who had joined the protesters, in which the MDF fired rubber bullets into the crowd. (The President's office, however, denied these reports.)


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, February
On 7 February, Nasheed ordered the police and army to subdue the anti-government protesters and use force against the public. Police came out to protest against unlawful orders given to them. Amid the chaos the President resigned in front of the media after submitting a hand written resignation letter to the Majlis, as stipulated in the constitution. Following the forced resignation on 7 February 2012, Nasheed immediately informed the international community of the events surrounding his ousting and asked for early elections to preserve the country's fledgling democratic system.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, February
President Nasheed was claimed to have resigned stating that he wanted to stop the violence. Nasheed and his supporters called it a coup d'etat (Nasheed claims he was forced out virtually at gunpoint, though this remains disputed). Nasheed's vice president, Mohammed Waheed Hassan, was sworn in as president to replace Nasheed at the Peoples majlis in front of the Chief Justice.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, February
On 23 February 2012, the Commonwealth suspended the Maldives from its democracy and human rights watchdog while the ousting was being investigated, and backed Nasheed's call for elections before the end of 2012.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, February and March (counter protests)
Counter protests broke out following the coup, in favor of ousted Nasheed. The protesters demonstrated against the coup and in favor of Nasheed. Supporters of Nasheed's political party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), led massive demonstrations.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, February and March (counter protests)
On 8 February, the MDP convened an emergency executive meeting and called for its members to go into streets. President Mohamed Nasheed then attempted to lead the protesters to the Republic Square. Before his march reached the square, however, the Maldives Police Service dispersed the protest with batons and pepper spray.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, February and March (counter protests)
On 1 March, thousands of protestors who supported Mohamed Nasheed rallied to prevent Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik from entering Parliament.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, February and March (counter protests)
Amnesty International has raised concerns of human rights abuses during this round of protests. Amnesty claims that there was excessive use of force by security forces against the protesters backing Nasheed, including sexual harassment of female prisoners. An Amnesty International spokesperson condemned the police tactics as "brutal" and "outright human rights violations".


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, April (parliamentary by-election)
On 14 April, parliamentary by-election were held, the first since the protests began, with Mohammed Waheed's party winning.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Timeline, 2012, April (parliamentary by-election)
Mohamed Musthafa, an MDP candidate and former Member of Parliament, said that he refused to accept the result of the by-election, claiming that there were "major issues in Guraidhoo" and other issues (Guraidhoo is an island which reportedly registered abnormally high voter turn-out in the by-elections).


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Nasheed coup allegations
Nasheed and his supporters maintained that he was ousted in a coup, but this claim was disputed by Hassan's supporters, the National Commission of Inquiry, and the governments of the US, UK, India, and the Commonwealth of Nations.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Nasheed coup allegations
Nasheed, in an interview with The Hindu after he was ousted, claimed that there was a plotted coup. He said: "I was given a seven-page letter by the General then in charge of military intelligence warning of a plot, to overthrow my government, by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. However, the officer concerned was promptly replaced [by the Army]." As for why he resigned, Nasheed said: "I knew this was going to end either with many deaths or with my being lynched. So I agreed to resign". He said it was "shocking" how hastily the governments of India and the US "stepped in to recognise the new regime – the coup."


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Nasheed coup allegations
Nasheed and his foreign minister, Ahmed Naseem, claimed in interviews that Islamic extremists were upset with his rule and were behind the coup. The conservative-minded US think-tank the Heritage Foundation raised concerns that the coup was to put Waheed into power in an effort to "strengthening of the military’s role in politics" and to create a fundamentalist Islamist government. Nasheed also claimed that wealthy resort owners were behind the coup. Nasheed had worked to amend the tax code so that wealthy resort owners paid more taxes.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Nasheed coup allegations
Nasheed said: "The coup was largely financed by resort owners" and that "I suppose they [the resort owners] liked the old order of corruption." The World Socialist Web Site, the online news center of the International Committee of the Fourth International claimed that the coup was backed by the United States and that United States and Indian envoys intervened in the crisis to back the coup.


2011–2012 Maldives political crisis, Nasheed coup allegations
The coup interpretation was also backed by UK MP David Amess, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group to the Maldives, but contradicted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who asserted that Nasheed "had resigned". Nasheed's successor and opposition forces also stated that the transfer of power was voluntary. A later British Commonwealth meeting concluded that it could not "determine conclusively the constitutionality of the resignation of President Nasheed", but called for an international investigation. The Maldives' National Commission of Inquiry, appointed to investigate the matter, found that there was no evidence to support Nasheed's version of events. The US State Department and the Commonwealth of Nations Secretary Kamalesh Sharma welcomed the release of the report, and called on Maldivians to abide by its findings.


2011–2012 Massachusetts legislature
The 187th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 2011 and 2012 during the governorship of Deval Patrick. Therese Murray served as president of the Senate and Robert DeLeo served as speaker of the House.


2011–2012 Mauritanian protests
The 2011–2012 Mauritanian protests were a series of protests in Mauritania that started in January 2011, concurrent with the Arab Spring, and continued into 2012. The largely peaceful protest movement has demanded President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz institute political, economic, and legal reforms. Common themes of protest have included slavery, which is officially illegal in Mauritania, but is widespread in the country, and other human rights abuses the opposition has accused the government of perpetrating.


2011–2012 Mauritanian protests, Timeline, Start of protests
Following the example of Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian fruit vendor who set himself on fire the previous month to protest the government of Tunisia, a middle-aged businessman named Yacoub Ould Dahoud burned himself in front of the Presidential Palace in Nouakchott on 17 January 2011. He left behind a note explaining that injustice in Mauritania led him to commit suicide in this way. Dahoud died on 23 January in hospital. His self-immolation set off a round of protests in the capital starting on 20 January, when protesters gathered in Place 1 Mai to declare their intent to peacefully assemble as an act of civil disobedience until the government recognised their demands.


2011–2012 Mauritanian protests, Timeline, Protests ramp up
The 25 February Movement took off on 25 February 2011 when protesters across Mauritania assembled a 28-point list of reforms they demanded the government institute. The protest movement spread quickly outside the capital to cities like Aleg, Aoujeft, Atar, and Zouerate. The following month, protesters in many cities were met with a police crackdown. On 25 April 2011, protesters again gathered to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf. These protests against the prime minister came despite some economic concessions by authorities, including a promise by Laghdaf to create at least 1,700 new jobs in food production, and an offer from the Interior Ministry to negotiate with an appointed representative of the youth movement.


2011–2012 Mauritanian protests, Timeline, Protests against the census
Hundreds of black African Mauritanians marched starting in late September 2011 to decry the government census as "racist" due to a higher standard for blacks to prove Mauritanian citizenship than Arabs. On 27 September 2011, seven black protesters were shot by police in Maghama, near the international border with Senegal, and two of them died from their wounds. Days later, 56 protesters were arrested in Noaukchott. Protesters gathered in Inal in the country's north, as well as in Noaukchott, on 28 November to again rally against the census. At least one was wounded and another was detained as security forces intervened to stop the protest in the capital city.


2011–2012 Mauritanian protests, Timeline, Student protests
Students at the Advanced Institute for Islamic Studies and Research (ISERI) began protesting on 14 December 2011. Police responded with force, firing tear gas and frequently clashing with student groups. The unrest led to the closure of ISERI, but students continued to assemble. Several were detained on 16 January 2012, only to be released by police five days later in response to public anger. On 25 January, students organised a "Day of Anger" to protest ISERI's closure.


2011–2012 Mauritanian protests, Timeline, Anniversary
To mark the one-year anniversary of Yacoub Ould Dahoud's self-immolation, protesters gathered in Noaukchott to denounce President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and his government. Peaceful rally-goers held homemade signs and chanted slogans calling for reform. Several days later, on 28 January 2012, Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera ran a story on the Mauritanian protests, characterising them as "overlooked" due in part to the relative lack of Internet penetration in Mauritania. It is estimated only 2 percent of Mauritanian households have reliable Internet connections.


2011–2012 Mauritanian protests, Timeline, Opposition protests
On 3 April, thousands of people in Mauritania have attended demonstrations in the capital calling for President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz to resign. The opposition groups held peaceful "decentralised" rallies in the nine districts of Nouakchott. Organisers said they opposed "anti-democratic" policies of the government. They accused the president of rigging elections held in 2009 which confirmed him in power and refusing to hold a serious national dialogue with opposition groups.


2011–2012 Mauritanian protests, Timeline, Opposition protests
Protests flare up again on 19 July, when thousands of Mauritanians protested in the capital late Wednesday, calling for the departure of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, whom they accuse of despotism and mismanagement. Protestors chanted "Aziz get out" and "we are sick of the tyrant" as they marched through the capital.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Moldova on 16 December 2011. The president is elected by the parliament in an indirect election. After the election on 16 December failed, a second attempt was made on 15 January 2012. However, that vote was annulled as being unconstitutional since it had not been held in a secret vote. On 16 March, parliament elected Nicolae Timofti as president by 62 votes out of 101, with the PCRM boycotting the election, putting an end to a political crisis that had lasted since April 2009.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Background
After the parliamentary election held on 5 April 2009, the PCRM won 49.48% of the vote and 60 seats, one seat too few to elect a President. Vladimir Voronin, up to then president, was elected Speaker of Parliament and also retained the presidency with an interim status. Protests and riots by opposition activists amidst civil unrest followed in April 2009. PCRM were then unable to secure one additional vote during the May–June 2009 presidential election out of the 41 MPs from the three opposition parties; a snap parliamentary election was necessary.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Background
The parliamentary election of July 2009 led to the PCRM losing further seats to a coalition of opposition parties which gained 53 seats. However, the opposition also failed to obtain enough seats to elect a president, thereby producing more uncertainty. Voronin announced on 2 September that he intended to resign, saying that his position as acting president had become "ambiguous and doubtful." He resigned on 11 September, sending a letter to the parliamentary secretariat.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Background
By a vote of 52 MPs, the post of the President of the Republic of Moldova was declared vacant. Therefore, in accordance with Article 91 of the constitution, which provides that "the responsibility of the office shall devolve ad interim to the President of Parliament or the Prime Minister, in that order of priority," Mihai Ghimpu became the interim President of the Republic of Moldova.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Background
The Constitutional Court of Moldova confirmed earlier on 17 September, the legitimacy of Mihai Ghimpu's position as Acting President of Moldova, which gave him the right to nominate a prime minister. On the same day, Ghimpu signed a decree nominating Vlad Filat for the office of prime minister.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Background
The Commission for constitutional reform in Moldova was set up under presidential decree on 1 December in order to resolve the constitutional crisis. The post of Acting President passed later to Marian Lupu, who held it since 30 December 2010.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Calendarisation
Following an interrogation submitted by four deputies of the PCRM, Moldova's Constitutional Court ruled on 8 February 2011 that the parliament is the only institution which can decide when to hold a new presidential election, since the two-month deadline after the end of the mandate of the previous president, as foreseen by the constitution as having expired.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Calendarisation
On 20 October 2011 the Moldovan parliament decided to hold a presidential election on 18 November 2011.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Candidatures
On 4 November 2011, Igor Dodon announced that he would quit the Party of Communists along with MPs Zinaida Greceanii and Veronica Abramciuc. Dodon said that the three of them would vote for a president who was independent from any party, alliance or other political body. They did so due to the PCRM's to boycott the election, thus making it virtually possible to break the impasse by reaching an agreement with the majority coalition that lacks two votes to pass the election threshold.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Candidatures
Nevertheless, on 15 November the deadline for candidates' applications expired with no applications provided. The country's laws do not make provision for a situation where there are no presidential candidates, but the elections are likely to be postponed or cancelled. Under Moldovan law, the presidential election can be repeated only once. If the second attempt fails, the country must hold early parliamentary elections.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Candidatures
Following two failed rounds to elect a president, the AEI had two candidates: Veronica Bacalu, the former Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Moldova, who is working at the World Bank and was nominated by the Liberal Democrat Party; and Ion Ababii, the former Minister of Health who was nominated by the Democratic Party. In the end, the head of the Supreme Magistrate Council Judge Nicolae Timofti became the compromise candidate. He said that he would maintain "strategic ties" with the United States, Russia and Germany, as well as worth towards settling the dispute of Transnistria; and he added that "Moldova must become a bridge between East and West from which it can only win."


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election
Following successive failures to elect a president, the country had an acting president for over 900 days. A 60% vote was required to approve a president.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election
According to Article 80 of the constitution: "The President of Moldova takes office on the oath-taking day and his term has a duration of 4 years."


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, First attempt
On 2 December, an attempt was set for 16 December to try to get candidates for the election. At the same time, an electoral law revision was passed that asserted an election will only be held if there are any candidates and only if at least 61 MPs are present at the vote. Should the election again be unsuccessful, an early parliamentary election would have to be held (which would be the third such election after 2009 and 2010).


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, First attempt
The three PCRM MPs who defected attended the vote (with the other PCRM MPs boycotting again), but voted against Marian Lupu, who was the only candidate. Another attempt was set for 15 January 2012. However, Lupu announced he would not run in the election, and stated that the governing parties were prepared to nominate a compromise candidate.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, Second attempt
In December 2011, the Sierra Leone-born John Onoje signed up to run for president. On 9 December, Onoje passed the medical examination in order to run for president. Onoje's campaign was so well publicised that the PSRM's Victor Șelin proposed revoking his Moldovan citizenship on this basis.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, Second attempt
On 11 January, Oazu Nantoi told the press that he would run as a candidate and that he had discussed this prospect with Vlad Filat and other leaders of the Alliance for European Integration: "Their reaction was moderately positive. I remain an optimist and I hope that I will secure the parliamentary deputies' support and go ahead with my self-nomination." The same day, the PCRM had proposed the former chairman of the National Bank of Moldova Leonid Tălmaci as a compromise candidate. The two candidates then registered with the head of the election commission to run for the post of president.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, Second attempt
On 12 January, the Constitutional Court of Moldova annulled the inconclusive December election because some members of parliament violated the law by showing how they marked their ballots on television.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, Second attempt, Aftermath
A new constitutional referendum was announced to be planned for April, with the presidential election to be held afterwards. On 15 January, the leaders of AEI made a joint statement announcing that a constitutional referendum would be held in April. Prime Minister Vlad Filat said that "a referendum on the amendment of the constitution will be initiated in order to give people the opportunity to rectify the constitutional deficiencies that have been triggering endless political crises." Acting President Marian Lupu added that: "Moldova's president will be elected within a month after the validation of the referendum's outcome."


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, Second attempt, Aftermath
Liberal leader Mihai Ghimpu then said that the amendment to the constitution is the only solution to the political crisis. The leaders of AEI then withdrew their proposal for the referendum during a special address on Moldova 1 on 10 February. It added that a date for a new presidential vote would be announced on 16 February at the opening of the parliamentary session.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, Third attempt
On 13 March, Nicolae Timofti and MP Mihai Godea, the leader of the Democratic Action Party talked about the expected election and what would make Godea agree to vote for him. Two days later Godea announced his support for Timofti. At the end of a meeting with Timofti on 14 March, Igor Dodon had not decided whether to back him.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, Third attempt
Following meetings between the Alliance for European Integration and the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova, another election attempt was set for 16 March after parliament affirmed the date 9 days earlier, though PCRM boycotted the vote on the premise that the incumbent parliament is illegitimate, amidst their demand it be dissolved. Three PCRM rebels, who called themselves "socialists," and led by Igor Dodon suggested they would back Timofti. Dodon said: "The election of a president is better than an aggressive campaign for new parliamentary elections which will not solve the political crisis.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, Third attempt
We must put an end to the crisis and get down to work for the good of the country. That is how an opposition should act and not choose to stage marches and street demonstrations." Timofti said: "The European orientation of Moldova must be a priority. This has been the policy of Moldova in recent years and this is the policy that must continue" and that "I am convinced that Moldova has no other future than a European future." The vote was brought forward from the afternoon to the morning. PCRM also threatened to disrupt the vote. PCRM supporters protested the election, but former president Vladimir Voronin later said that the party had called for a suspension to the protests.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Election, Third attempt, Final result
Timofti was elected with the support of AEI, three former PCRM deputies who had defected to PSRM and Mihai Godea. The head of the election commission, Tudor Deliu, announced the result saying that "after 917 days, the epic of electing a president is over." Addressing reporters after the Constitutional Court of Moldova confirmed him as head of state on 19 March, Timofti said that his inauguration would likely take place on 23 March. According to article 79 of the constitution, he must be sworn in as president within 45 days.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Reactions, Domestic
Upon being elected, Timofti called for the removal of all Russian peacekeeping troops from Transnistria and said that he advocates a peaceful solution to the Transnistria conflict through negotiations with the 5+2 format (Russia, Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union and the U.S.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Reactions, Domestic
He also called for reforms and upholding the "rule of law" adding that in his role as president and thus "guarantor of the constitution" he would "supervise how the principle of separation of powers in the state is observed as this is a fundamental, democratic principle without which we cannot speak about veritable rule of law.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Reactions, Domestic
They now speak a lot about the imperfection of the constitution and the necessity of amending it...I will provide all the support for improving the constitutional framework so that there are no blockages in the future and the supreme law ensures the efficient and harmonious development of the country." He was also congratulated by parliament.


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Reactions, Domestic
The AEI also expressed regret over the PCRM's boycott with PM Vlad Filat saying the coalition has sought to "establish a civilised dialogue with the opposition Communists, but they refused to contribute to the efforts of the government. I wish I would have had half of the possibilities that the opposition has now, when I was in opposition. Once the president is elected, the political establishment will have to cope with the hardest burden – we should have a united society at the next parliamentary election, without the barricades that the Communists have built now."


2011–2012 Moldovan presidential election, Reactions, Domestic
However, PCRM MP Sergiu Sîrbu said the boycott will continue and that "something serious should happen for us to return to parliament, like the resignation of the president or of the government." He also added that a new law that would suspend salaries to those MPs who are absent from sittings of parliament or of parliamentary commissions without reason would not deter the boycott as "it will be a serious blow, but democracy and the fight for justice [would continue]."


2011–2012 Moroccan protests
The Moroccan protests are a series of demonstrations across Morocco which occurred from 20 February 2011 to the fall of 2012. They were inspired by other protests in the region. The protests were organized by the 20 February Movement.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Origin
The protests in Morocco were inspired by the Arab Spring protests and revolutions in other North African countries. They were centred around demands for political reform, which included reform against police brutality, electoral fraud, political censorship and high unemployment.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 20 February, thousands of Moroccans rallied in the capital, Rabat, to demand that King Mohammed give up some of his powers, chanting slogans such as "Down with autocracy" and "The people want to change the constitution." They were heading towards the parliament building, and police did not halt them, although Moroccan Finance Minister Salaheddine Mezouar said that people should not join the march. A separate protest was underway in Casablanca and one was planned for Marrakesh. Looting and major disorder were widespread in Tangier, Marrakesh, Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen, Larache, Ksar-el-Kebir, Fez, Guelmim, Tétouan, and Sefrou.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
Thousands took to the streets of Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakech in peaceful protests demanding a new constitution, a change in government and an end to corruption. During a march on Hassan II Avenue in the capital, Rabat, demonstrators demanded a new constitution to bring more democracy to the country. They shouted slogans calling for economic opportunity, education reform, better health services, and help in coping with the rising cost of living.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
The Associated Press estimated the turnout in Rabat at 4,000, while organisers put the crowd outside Parliament at 20,000. The Interior Ministry estimated that the total number of protesters was about 37,000 people.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 26 February, about 1,000 people demonstrated in Casablanca demanding political reforms, according to AFP.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 13 March, several hundred demonstrators gathered in Casablanca demanding reforms. Riot police broke up the rally with batons, injuring dozens in what was described as the most violent intervention since the start of the protests.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 20 March, an estimated 35,000 citizens of diverse backgrounds and interests participated in peaceful protests in more than 60 cities across the country, some demanding more political changes than those announced by King Mohammed in his 9 March address, with others wanting to keep up the pressure so that the reforms come about. The police did not intervene and no violent acts were reported.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 24 April, thousands of people protested across Morocco, demanding an end to corruption, an independent judiciary, constitutional reforms, legislative elections as well as more jobs for university graduates.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 8 May, thousands of Moroccans marched in Marrakesh to demand reforms and express their opposition towards terrorist attacks, like the one on 28 April.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 22 May, Moroccan police spent hours chasing hundreds of pro-democracy activists through the streets of the capital in an effort to prevent any pro-reform demonstrations. The government appeared to be implementing a new zero-tolerance policy for protesters.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 5 June, nearly 60,000 protesters convened in Rabat and Casablanca to demonstrate, many carrying a picture of Kamal Amari, who died from police brutality. The death highlighted escalating police brutality directed at demonstrators.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 28 July, a few dozen 20 February Movement protesters gathered in front of a courthouse in Safi to demand authorities to free two unfairly arrested Sebt Gzoula demonstrators. Those two were arrested under false claims of attacking government forces.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
Protests have continued nearly every Sunday, with thousands marching in cities around Morocco calling for governmental reform.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2011
On 18 September, 3,000 protesters marched through the streets of Casablanca in the largest such demonstration in months.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2012
On 27 May, tens of thousands of Moroccans took to the streets of Casablanca protesting against the government's alleged failure to tackle unemployment and other social woes, accusing Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane of failing to deliver promised reforms.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2012
On 22 July, hundreds of protesters led by 20 February Youth Movement marched in the working class area of Sidi Bernoussi in Casablanca and chanted against government policies, social marginalisation, and corruption. They also took aim at the wealthy clique of Moroccans known as the Makhzen, the governing elite centred around monarch King Mohammed VI. They were later met with violence by police; suddenly at the very end, police started beating street vendors and passers-by and later started chasing and apprehending protesters.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2012
On 11 August, nearly 1,000 people gathered in Casablanca chanting anti-corruption slogans, denouncing the sharp rise in prices, and calling for the release of jailed activists, with another 300 people gathered near the main boulevard in Rabat chanting slogans criticising Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane and King Mohammed VI, while waving anti-government banners. Activists blame the ruling Justice and Development Party (PJD) for a surge in fuel prices – petrol jumped by 20% in June 2012 when the government moved to cut its unaffordable subsidies bill – that has driven up the cost of food and other basic goods. They also accuse the moderate Islamist party of not fulfilling its campaign pledges to address social grievances and fight corruption.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2012
Dozens of activists gathered on 23 August outside Parliament to call for the abolition of the ceremony of the Bay'ah, in which government officials bow down before King Mohammed VI in an elaborate ritual at the palace in Rabat, an annual event normally held on 30 July to commemorate the king's coronation 13 years ago. Opposition activists say the event perpetuates a "backwardness" and "servitude" in Morocco that is inappropriate for the 21st century, touching on a highly sensitive issue in the North African country. Most of those attending demonstration were members of the 20 February Youth Movement.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Timeline, 2012
About 500 demonstrators marched in Rabat on 23 September to protest against corruption and political detentions. The marchers, mostly youths, chanted slogans urging the authorities to release from prison members of the 20 February Youth Movement. There were no reports of unrest and the march ended peacefully.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Domestic response
On 9 March 2011, in a live televised address, King Mohammed VI announced that there would be "a comprehensive constitutional reform", with the aim of improving democracy and the rule of law. Also underlined was his "firm commitment to giving a strong impetus to the dynamic and deep reforms... taking place". A referendum would be held on the draft constitution, he said. He also pledged that future parliamentary elections would be free and that the head of the winning party would form the new government. The live broadcast was the first time the king has delivered an address to the nation since thousands of people demonstrated in several cities on February 20 demanding political reform and limits on his powers.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Domestic response
The king announced the formation of a commission to work on the constitutional revisions, with proposals to be made to him by June after which a referendum would be held on the draft constitution. The commission was widely criticized for its failure to successfully curtail the king's authority. As a result, the government continued to function as it previously had.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Domestic response
There have been other peaceful rallies since then, including in the capital Rabat and the country's biggest city Casablanca, with young activists campaigning for greater democracy using social media to call fornew demonstrations on March 20.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Constitutional reform proposals
In a televised speech on 17 June 2011, King Mohammed VI announced a series of constitutional reforms, passed through a national referendum on 1 July. The newly proposed reforms were largely supported by Moroccans, and popular celebrations were observed throughout the country, although the leaders of the 20 February Movement rejected the proposals as insufficient and called for continuing protests on 19 June 2011 demanding "truly democratic constitution and a parliamentary monarchy", while calling for a mass boycott of the poll. On 29 June 2011, the protesters called for a boycott of the referendum.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Constitutional reform proposals
The proposed reforms passed and gave the prime minister and parliament more executive authority, and made Berber an official language in Morocco, together with Arabic, as well as the Arab-Hassani Language spoken among the Saharawi tribes of Morocco. The proposal empowered the prime minister with the authority to appoint government officials and to dissolve the parliament - the powers previously held by the king. However, the king remains the military commander-in-chief and retains his position as the chair of the Council of Ministers and the Supreme Security Council, the primary bodies responsible for the security policy. A new constitutional provision also confirms the king's role as the highest religious authority in the country.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Constitutional reform proposals
In a televised speech on 30 July the king said the constitutional changes should be implemented swiftly, starting with parliamentary elections, adding that "any delay may jeopardise this dynamic of trust and squander opportunities offered by the new reform". After negotiations between the interior ministry, which oversees elections, and some 20 political parties, the government proposed that parliamentary elections should take place on 11 November instead of the scheduled date of September next year.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Constitutional reform proposals
A large number of protesters went onto the streets again on 11 September 2011 and on 18 September 2011.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Media platforms
One of the media platforms that advertised the movement was Mamfakinch, a collaborative website that published content mainly in French and Arabic, but also English. "Mamfakinch" means "no concession." The website was started by young Moroccans who were excited by the 20 February demonstrations, which sought sweeping social, economic, and political reform in Morocco. The designers claim diverse political persuasions but share a common belief in the democratic values of freedom and humans rights. The site is not afraid to be critical of the Moroccan government and promotes the rights to free speech and access to information. Mamfakinch is a citizen media source endeavoring to provide accurate information that other, mainstream media sources misrepresent, intentionally distort, or completely ignore.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Media platforms
In 2012, Mamfakinch received the Google/Global Voices Breaking Borders Award for "defending and promoting freedom of speech rights on the internet."


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Casualties
On 20 February 2011, five bodies had been found in Al Hoceima, within a bank that had been destroyed by protesters who set it on fire during the 20 February protests. According to eyewitnesses, the bodies belonged to rioters that were trying to loot the bank.


2011–2012 Moroccan protests, Casualties
On 2 June 2011, a man died of injuries he had allegedly received during the riots the city of Safi witnessed three days before. Official reports state that the man's participation to the protest in precarious health conditions led to the complications which caused his death.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests
The 2011–2012 Palestinian protests were a series of protests in the Palestinian National Authority and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, staged by various Palestinian groups as part of the wider Arab Spring. The protests were aimed to protest against the Palestinian government, as well as supporting the popular uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria. The first phase of protests took place during 2011 and the second phase in 2012.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests
Some suggested the 2012 protests were also inspired by the Arab Spring. Demonstrators were protesting against the economic policies of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and the increasing cost of living. On 1 September 2012, the PNA raised the price of fuel, as well as the value added tax rate. Mass demonstrations have taken place throughout the Palestinian Authority territory, including in  Ramallah, Nablus, Balata Camp, Bir Zeit, Jalazun Camp, Hebron, Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Dheisheh Camp, Jenin, Jericho, Tulkarm and Dura. 2012 Protests have been characterized by road closures, tire burning, self-immolations, peaceful demonstrations, stone throwing clashes and workers' strikes.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, First phase, Goals
The goal of the early protests were to unify the two ruling parties, Fatah and Hamas. Other reasons included unemployment, inflation, and lack of economic growth.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, First phase, February 2011
The Palestinian Authority prevented several demonstrations in support of protesters in Tunisia and Egypt. On 3 February, Palestinian police dispersed an anti-Mubarak demonstration in downtown Ramallah, detaining four people, confiscating a cameraman's footage, and reportedly beating protesters. A smaller pro-Mubarak demonstration was permitted to take place in the same area and was guarded by police.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, First phase, October 2011
On 15 October, an anti-Assad protest expressing solidarity with Palestinian refugees in Syria affected by the unrest there took place in the Gaza Strip, and was attended by 150 people. Hamas police forces dispersed the demonstration, claiming that it was held without a permit.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, First phase, Outcome
On 1 February 2012 the Palestinian Authority announced that it would hold municipal elections in July. Some sources speculated that this announcement was a reaction to the anti-government protests in Egypt. The elections were however postponed to 22 October 2012, then suspended indefinitely due to an internal division within the Palestinian Authority over candidates for many of the municipalities and councils, and fears that Hamas supporters would back Palestinian Authority opponents.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Causes
A rise in fuel prices, lowered quality of living and the current financial crisis and unpaid monthly salary payments for about 150,000 Palestinian workers have sparked the protests. The PNA is currently going through a financial crisis. In addition, the PNA has warned of potential cuts in electricity for large areas in the West Banks, prompting a rise in social tensions. Much of the demonstrators' anger has been directed towards the government of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Causes
The 1994 Protocol on Economic Relations has also been targeted, an interim agreement that is part of the Oslo accords whereby Israel controls Palestinian trade and collects taxes on behalf of the PNA. Further sources which point out the centrality to the Paris Protocol have also made the claim that these have been the first protests on the Palestinian West Bank not to be purely "political".


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Causes
Because of Israeli restrictions on the Palestinian economy, the PNA relies on foreign aid. Due to delays in the funding by the United States and various Arab countries, the accumulating budget deficit has become a financial crisis for the PNA. Professor and former PNA spokesman Ghassan Khatib further states that the expansion of Israeli settlements and the subsequent confiscation of cultivable land and other natural resources has increased the PNA's dependence on foreign funds as well as the "exhaustion" of other venues such as taking bank loans and borrowing from the private sector.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
4 September - Mass protests involving thousands of Palestinians were held in cities throughout the West Bank in protest of price rises, higher costs of living, Salam Fayyad's handling of the financial crisis and the Paris Protocol. Several demonstrating groups also stressed they were protesting against the Israeli occupation in addition to dire conditions. In Hebron dozens of public transport vehicles drove from the northern to southern ends of the city protesting the cost of fuel, while hundreds of people participated in protests held in the city center. An effigy of Prime Minister Fayyad was set alight.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
Smaller demonstrations occurred in Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jenin. In the city of al-Dura in the southern West Bank, 42-year-old Khaled Abu Rabee poured gasoline over himself and entered the municipal hall in an apparent self-immolation attempt. He was stopped by a security guard.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
5 September - In Ramallah a man from Gaza unsuccessfully attempted to set himself and his 6-year-old daughter who has cancer alight in protest of his inability to pay for her cancer treatment and the costly price of living. He was stopped by police who arrested him. Meanwhile, school children protested the prices of basic goods in Beit Jala.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
In response to growing protests in the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the "Palestinian Spring," drawing relation to the regional Arab Spring, had begun. He further quoted a Palestinian proverb that "hunger is disloyal," acknowledging that people think of feeding their families as the top priority.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
6 September - Demonstrations continued in West Bank cities. In Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour mostly young protesters forced many streets to close for traffic. Hundreds gathered to demonstrate in Nativity Street. In Jenin protesters demanded the resignation of Salam Fayyad, while in Tulkarm demonstrators marched with donkeys in a gesture to the rising price of conventional transport. Taxi drivers began a mass strike to protest rising fuel prices. Fayyad announced on Voice of Palestine radio that he was "ready to resign" but the replacement of government officials would not alleviate the PNA's financial crisis.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
7 September - Palestinian National Initiative declared its support for protests against rising costs of living in the West Bank, and called for a "radical change" in economic policy.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
8 September - Dozens of protesters closed down several streets in Tulkarm and Ramallah on Saturday, as protests against rising living costs continue across the West Bank. A main road in Tulkarm was blocked with rocks and burning tires and protesters in Ramallah closed off several streets in the city center. President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated that Israel and some Arab countries share the blame for the PA’s financial crisis. He said the Palestinian Authority will not seek to stop the popular protests as long as they remain peaceful and do not harm public interests. However, he stressed that the government would not allow any attacks on public property.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
9 September - Demonstrators in Ramallah called on President Mahmoud Abbas to resign on Sunday, as protests over the rising cost of living continue in the West Bank. Truck drivers blocked traffic in Ramallah's Manara Square as people marched in the city center against the economic policies of the Palestinian Authority. A leader in the popular protests, Mahir Amir, told Ma'an News Agency that protesters wanted to send a message to President Abbas to urge him to annul the Paris Protocol with Israel. The protests also demand that the PLO plays an appropriate role in controlling the Palestinian Authority.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
10 September - Taxi drivers, teachers shopkeepers and other Palestinian workers joined a general strike. The head of the West Bank's Union of Public Transport, Nasser Younis, stated that over 24,000 drivers were participating, while the taxi union director in Jenin reported that 700 cars and 120 buses had joined. Activity in cities, towns and refugee camps have been largely frozen as a result of the public transportation strike.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
In Hebron police clashed with protesters who targeted the city's municipal offices and fire trucks. Afterwards, several thousand demonstrators threw stones at a police station in the city. Police responded with tear gas to disperse the protests. According to Ma'an News Agency, dozens of protesters and police were injured. The governor of the Hebron Governorate Kamal Hmeid accused a "lawless minority" for the clashes.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
Clashes also occurred in Bethlehem at the Bab al-Zaqaq crossroads after taxi drivers blocked the entry of traffic. Further confrontations broke out near Karkafeh Street when several people hurled stones at trucks blocking the street as part of the protests. In the city's Dheisheh refugee camp, demonstrators marched toward's President Abbas's local presidential headquarters chanting slogans condemning him, Prime Minister Fayyad, and the Paris Protocol. In order to prevent clashes, protest organizers formed a human chain to separate themselves from the security forces. Protests demanding the resignation of Fayyad erupted in nearby Beit Jala. Organizers urged participants to refrain from damaging public property.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
In Ramallah demonstrators burned tires and garbage bins as they blocked off several of the city's main roads. Taxi drivers joined the protesters who chanted "leave, leave" (irhal, irhal), a common slogan heard in throughout the Arab Spring. Protests were also held in the nearby localities of Bir Zeit and Jalazun Camp.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
Roads were blocked in the northern city of Jenin, hindering commerce in the city. In a separate incident, a number of Palestinian policemen were injured when protesters hurled stones and glass bottles at a police station in Nablus. Traffic was also blocked in some of the city's streets. Palestinian officials reported that demonstrators numbered 100-200 people. At the adjacent Balata Camp where protesters blocked the camp's main road. Further protests were reported in Tulkarm and Jericho.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
PNA spokeswoman Nour Odeh stated the authorities would protect the rights of protesters and ensure their safety, although she added that the government would hold violators of the law responsible.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
11 September - College and high school students have planned to join the general strike.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, September 2012
26 September - About 500 Palestinians protested in the Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, where demonstrations against the Hamas government are rare. They began following the death of a boy resident as a result of a fire during a power outage, a frequent occurrence in the Gaza Strip due to the short supply of fuel. Protesters called for the downfall of the Hamas administration, which they accused of being incompetent, and also laid blame at the rival government in the West Bank headed by Fayyad and Abbas. Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nono blamed Egypt for the fuel crisis and the international community for allowing the continuation of the blockade of the Gaza Strip.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Timeline, October 2015
2 October - Around 200 people demonstrated in the West Bank city of Ramallah to demand the resignation of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Waving flags and shouting "Abu Mazen (Abbas) leave," they marched from the central Al-Manara Square towards the presidential headquarters. They were blocked by police and there were some scuffles before the marchers dispersed. The march had been called to denounce the arrest in the West Bank, controlled by Abbas's Fatah party, of partisans of the Islamist movement Hamas, and arrests in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip of Fatah sympathisers.


2011–2012 Palestinian protests, Second phase, Outcome
On 14 February 2013, amid pan-Arab calls for reform, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad submitted his resignation along with that of his cabinet to President Mahmoud Abbas. After consultations with other factions, institutions, and civil society groups, Abbas asked him to form a new government. The reshuffle had long been demanded by Fayyad as well as members of Abbas's Fatah faction.


2011–2012 Papua New Guinean constitutional crisis
2011–2012 Papua New Guinean constitutional crisis was a dispute between Sir Michael Somare and Peter O'Neill. Both claimed to be Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.


2011–2012 Papua New Guinean constitutional crisis
O'Neill had been elected by parliament as prime minister on 2 August 2011 and Sir Michael Somare claimed the post on the basis of a Supreme Court ruling on 12 December 2011. Article 142(2) of the Constitution provides that the Prime Minister is appointed "by the Head of State, acting in accordance with a decision of the Parliament." The Queen's role is executed by  the Governor General. The Governor General had therefore to decide on the actual wish of parliament: the opinion identified by O'Neill or the wish as defined by the Supreme Court.