You are in the 214th Witness Revolution diary, bearing witness to pro-democracy movements in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. We aim here to simply report, from as many reliable worldwide resources as possible, on the successes, challenges or failures of the brave people striving against oppression for representative democracy with civil and human rights. One small bit of assurance that they do not strive in obscurity. Please see the 200th edition where participants shared what this series means to them.
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
GOOD NEWS FROM BAHRAIN
h/t UnaSpenser - #Bahrain: video shows the released poet Ayat Alqormozi the moment she arrived home; more on her story here
GOOD NEWS FOR YEMEN TOO
We have been reporting on the growing humanitarian crisis in Yemen (see story here). Stories and photos of relief efforts are starting to emerge
(ht JustJennifer 7/14) -
UK Yemen Aid
Today, Thursday 14th July 2011, 40 tonnes of mixed aid will be shipped from London to Yemen, where it will be distributed through local NGO networks to the poorest and neediest in Yemen.
SYRIA - THE GENERAL STRIKE
#Homs |Nationwide strike continues. 14.07.2011 #Syria
#Damascus | General strike in #Douma 14.07.2011 #Syria
General strike in #Deir el Zor 14.07.2011 #Syria
(ht JustJennifer 7/14) - Sabocat!
IWW Arabic General Strike poster
ABOUT OUR GROUP
Eyes on Egypt and the Region produces a different series of diaries which provide background and analysis on the region in general and on individual countries. We hope those provide context for you as you read about current events. The published diaries in that series are:
Eyes on Egypt and the Region Background Resources
See the group stream for even more diaries.
DO YOU KNOW OF GOOD READING MATERIAL?
We collect suggested readings for background reference materials in support of the Eyes on Egypt and the Region group. These may be non-fiction or fiction, general to the region or specific to a country or issue. If there are resources which you believe could aid our understanding of the events and processes we are witnessing, please either a) post a comment in the Liveblog with the title "Suggested reading:" and a brief description of the reading in the body of the comment, or b) send your suggestions via the dKos internal message to angry marmot.
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya is an impressive new aide organization launched by one of our own: StepLeftStepForward.
NEWS UPDATES
(country names in bold are updated from the previous diary.)
GENERAL ANALYSIS
(h/t Dibsa 7/14)-'Arab Spring' like fall of Berlin Wall: Medvedev
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday compared the likely consequences of the Arab Spring to those of the fall of the Berlin Wall as he underlined the necessity of timely reforms to avoid unrest
(h/t Dibsa 7/14)-Arab Spring splinters into season of stalemates across Mideast
CAIRO — Among the protest banners in Cairo’s Tahrir Square was a hand-drawn map of the Arab Spring with black target symbols covering each country hit by anti-government uprisings since the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt were ousted earlier this year
(h/t Dibsa 7/14)-Brotherhood blossoms in Arab Spring
BAGHDAD - Hailed as the dawn of democracy in the Middle East, the Arab Spring has boosted the Muslim Brotherhood, which has emerged as the major political force in most countries swept by the upheaval
ALGERIA
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Air Algerie strike angers passengers in France
There have been angry scenes at Orly airport in France after passengers were left stranded by a strike by Algeria's state-run airline
BAHRAIN
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Update on Bahrain: Sackings Continue
The list of dismissed workers due to trade union activities is increasing daily in Bahrain. According to BWI’s affiliate the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions, currently there are more than 2,200 workers who have been dismissed out of a local Bahraini work force of 140,000. Unfortunately under the current Unemployment scheme these workers do not qualify for unemployment insurance as these dismissals are considered to be disciplinary action
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Bahrain puts protest poet under house arrest
DUBAI (Reuters) - A young Bahraini Shi'ite poet sentenced to a year in prison told Reuters Thursday she had been released and placed under house arrest, but would continue to voice demands for democratic reforms to the Gulf island kingdom's constitutional monarchy
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Irish doctors ask to visit jailed Bahraini medics
MANAMA, Bahrain: A group of Irish doctors, activists and politicians is in Bahrain, seeking to visit jailed doctors and nurses who treated injured protesters during unrest in the Gulf kingdom
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Bahrain frees woman jailed for critical poems
MANAMA, Bahrain — A Bahraini woman, jailed for reciting poems critical of Gulf kingdom's rulers during a wave of protests earlier this year, was released from prison on Wednesday, her brother said
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - West averts its eyes from happenings in Bahrain
Pity the poor people of Bahrain. They have been shot, beaten, tear-gassed — and patronised. On March 7, at the height of the pro-democracy protests in the tiny Gulf island kingdom, a crowd gathered outside the U.S. embassy in Manama, the capital, carrying signs that read “Stop supporting dictators” and “Give me liberty or give me death"
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - A Gulf Apart: Bahrain becomes an afterthought of the "Arab Spring"
Journalists love a good revolution. Thousands of protesters streaming onto the streets always make excellent copy. News channels are filled with pictures of angry men and women, waving banners, forcing their way past riot police and taking on tanks
BURKINA FASO
(h/t Dibsa 6/24 ) - Burkina Faso Considers Reforms to Change Constitution
June 24 (Bloomberg) -- Burkina Faso is considering changing its constitution after a series of army mutinies and protests against the government, Bongnessan Arsene Ye, the country's minister of political and parliamentary reforms, told reporters yesterday in Ouagadougou, the capital
COTE D'IVOIRE
(h/t Dibsa 7/13 ) - Gbagbo camp in Ivory Coast imploding
ABIDJAN — A mentor under house arrest, key members behind bars or in exile, a party riven by infighting, Laurent Gbagbo's camp appears to be imploding three months after the downfall of the former Ivorian president
DJIBOUTI
(h/t Dibsa 6/22 ) - Djibouti Will Intensify Fight Against Poverty, Prime Minister Dileita Says
Djibouti’s government will intensify its fight against poverty, improve governance and implement renewable-energy projects to help spur economic growth, Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita said
EGYPT
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Mubarak denies all charges against him: report
Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has denied all charges of murder and corruption for which he will go on trial in August, according to the transcript of his investigation published on Thursday
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Egypt purges police force, delays polls
CAIRO: Egypt's military rulers have fired more than 600 high-ranking police officers and announced that parliamentary elections planned for September would be delayed until October or November
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Photo essay: Slogans of Egypt's revolt reappear
CAIRO (AP) — Months after toppling Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are back in Cairo's Tahrir Square to press a long list of demands that have not been met
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - The Path to Democracy in Egypt
Cairo is full of a hundred metaphors for the incoherence, fragmentation, and spirited improvisation that animate Egypt's unfolding transition. My favorite was the traffic cram that erupted at a major intersection near Cairo University. The problem was not the number of vehicles, but the absence of traffic police. Seemingly resigned to the possibility that we would never cross, my taxi driver looked overwhelmed. There was no miraculous parting of this sea of cars. Instead, he and his vehicular compatriots used shrieking horns, occasional rebukes, and momentary four-wheel brinkmanship to, finally, make it through
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Egypt fires 600 top police officers in purge
CAIRO — Egypt sacked nearly 600 top police officers Wednesday, the start of a promised cleansing of a force blamed for chronic abuses during the rule of Hosni Mubarak, state television reported
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Revolution Dims Star Power of Egypt’s Antiquities Chief
Until recently Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s antiquities minister, was a global symbol of Egyptian national pride. A famous archaeologist in an Indiana Jones hat, he was virtually unassailable in the old Egypt, protected by his success in boosting tourism, his efforts to reclaim lost artifacts and his closeness to the country’s first lady, Suzanne Mubarak
(h/t Dibsa 7/12) - Court convicts Mubarak-era officials of corruption
CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court has convicted a Mubarak-era prime minister and two Cabinet ministers of corruption and sentenced them to up to 10 years in jail
(h/t Dibsa 7/12) - Egypt army 'won't cede control of transition'
Egypt's ruling military council insisted on Tuesday that it will not cede control over the transition from ousted president Hosni Mubarak's regime amid mounting anger over its handling of it
(h/t Dibsa 7/12) - Egypt's military warns protesters against violence
CAIRO (AP) - Egypt's military rulers sternly warned protesters on Tuesday against "harming public interests" as demonstrators continued to lay laid siege to Cairo's largest government building and threatened to expand their sit-in to other sites in the capital
(h/t Dibsa 7/12) - Egypt's post-revolution harmony turns sour
Activists who helped topple Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak just a few months ago are back at Cairo's Tahrir Square, demanding that his successor be replaced and that members of the former regime be brought to justice more quickly. Public support of the new movement is mixed
(h/t Dibsa 7/12) - Egyptians extend protest, dismiss army, PM pledges
CAIRO (Reuters) - More than 1,000 Egyptians extended a protest in central Cairo to a fifth day on Tuesday after dismissing the prime minister's pledge to reshuffle the cabinet as falling short of demands for swifter reforms
IRAN
(h/t Dibsa 7/8) - Is Iranian 'stoning to death' woman's lawyer being tortured in jail?
Tehran, July 7 (ANI): Fears have been raised for a jailed lawyer of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, after a prolonged silence over his well being, following reports that he has been tortured in prison
IRAQ
(h/t Dibsa 7/11) - 1 of Iraq's 3 vice presidents resigns
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's president says one of the country's three vice presidents has resigned. No formal reason was given. However, it is widely believed Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi, a Shiite, left his post to avoid being seen as part of a failed government should its leadership be ousted by frustrated Iraqis
(h/t JustJennifer 6/24)-New Wave of Iraqi Bloggers Cover Stories Ignored in the West
When thousands in Sulaymaniyah, the second biggest city in the Kurdish region of Iraq, rose up in protests daily for two months this year, American and European media gave the movement and its results only minimal coverage. This was despite security forces having shot numerous protestors, injuring hundreds and killing at least 10.
ISRAEL
(h/t Dibsa 7/14 ) - Israeli left condemns controversial "boycott ban" law
The passage of Israel's controversial "boycott ban" law is the latest attempt by a right-wing government to impose its views on the country, activists and opposition lawmakers charge
(h/t Dibsa 7/14 ) - Israel’s interior minister seeks to extend ban on family unification
Order stipulates that unification between Israeli citizens and Palestinian partners to be prohibited except in cases where Palestinian male partner is over 36 or Palestinian female is over 26; order significantly limits citizens' ability to live together with Palestinian spouse
(h/t Dibsa 7/13 ) - Israel deports seven 'flytilla' activists
Israel on Tuesday expelled seven foreign pro-Palestinian activists detained after flying into Israel for protests at the weekend, leaving five still in custody, an official said
(h/t Dibsa 7/13 ) - Israel's high court asked to overturn boycott law
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli peace group has petitioned the country's Supreme Court to overturn a controversial new law banning boycotts of West Bank settlements, as international human rights groups and Israel's own attorney general joined a growing chorus of the legislation's critics
(h/t Dibsa 7/13 ) - Next for Knesset: Bill To Probe 'Leftist' NGOs
Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party, flush from its victory in the boycott law debate, plans to bring another gag-rule bill to the Knesset floor for final vote next week, Ynet reports. The bill would create a Knesset investigative committee to examine the funding of “leftist” NGOs that “delegitimize” the Israeli army. Members of the Likud are trying to convince the party to hold off to let the passions over the boycott law cool down, but so far Yisrael Beiteinu is adamant, Ynet reports
(h/t Dibsa 7/12 ) - Israel settlement 'boycott ban' stirs controversy
Despite a firestorm of criticism and the advice of the parliament's legal adviser, Israeli lawmakers have passed a bill effectively outlawing calls to boycott settlements in the West Bank
JORDAN
(h/t JustJennifer 7/8 ) - Jordanians protest despite cabinet reshuffle
Hundreds of pro-reform Jordanians demonstrated on Friday in Amman and other cities, demanding the resignation of the government nearly a week after Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit reshuffled his cabinet.
(h/t Dibsa 7/8) - Jordan opposition leader claims security apparatus controls government
AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan’s Islamist opposition leader Friday issued a rare public denunciation of the country’s feared security apparatus, accusing it controlling government policies and seeking to limit free expression
KUWAIT
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Rights group urges Kuwait to free 2 Web activists
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- An international rights group is urging Kuwait's authorities to release two men detained for Internet posts criticizing Gulf rulers
LEBANON
(h/t JustJennifer 7/7)-Lebanon parliament backs cabinet as opposition boycotts
Lebanon's new government has won a parliamentary vote of confidence, after a heated debate over an international tribunal investigating the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
LIBYA
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Libya's mountain rebels drive toward Tripoli
The rebels in Benghazi to the east have been stalled for months, still some 700 miles from Tripoli across the Gulf of Sirte. They're pinned down too in Misrata, also east along the coast, in no shape to move toward the capitol
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - UK short of Libya targets, not resources -source
LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - Britain is running short of military targets in Libya as the forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are increasingly using civilian infrastructure and vehicles, a defence ministry source said on Thursday
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Gaddafi regime ready to blow up Tripoli – Russian envoy to Africa
Muammar Gaddafi may resort to surface-to-surface missiles in case rebels manage to take over the Libyan capital of Tripoli, the Russian president’s special envoy to Africa Mikhail Margelov has said
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Libya: NATO strikes have killed 1,100 since March
TRIPOLI, Libya — Libya's prosecutor says more than 1,100 Libyans have been killed and 4,500 wounded since NATO's campaign of airstrikes began on March 19
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Libya's rebels lose ground along the new front line against Col Muammar Gaddafi
A rebel advance through Libya's western mountains suffered a significant setback yesterday after pro-Gaddafi forces captured a hillside village that had been held by opposition fighters for just a week
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - In Libya's west, rebels rise amid rights concerns, growing pride
The increasingly assertive rebels in Libya's western Nafusah Mountains have committed abuses, Human Rights Watch says today. There's also growing pride, and confidence they're going to win their fight against Muammar Qaddafi
(h/t Dibsa 7/12) - Envoys say Gadhafi ready to go, says French FM
PARIS (AP) — France's foreign minister said Tuesday Paris has had contact with emissaries from Moammar Gadhafi who say the embattled Libyan strongman is "prepared to leave" power
RESOURCES:
A vision of a democratic Libya an 8-point plan from the National Transitional Council
The full text of UN Resolution 1970 on Libya.
The full text of UN Resolution 1973 on Libya.
President Obama's letter to Congress regarding commencement of operations in Libya. (h/t greenbird)
Al Jazeera Libyan live blog. (h/t jnhobbs)
UK Telegraph Libyan live blog. (h/t bee tzu)
BBC Libyan live blog found here. (h/t greenbird)
The New Yorker Dispatches from Libya. (h/t suejazz)
BBC's Libyan crisis mapped. (h/t phil S 33)
revolutionology is a blog from an American in Benghazi
MAURITANIA
(h/t Dibsa 6/16) - Mauritania opposition says October vote not possible
NOUAKCHOTT — A Mauritanian opposition leader said Wednesday elections due in October could not go ahead without reforms, accusing President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's government of abuse of power
MOROCCO
(h/t Dibsa 7/14 ) - Constitutional Reform: Road from Morocco
Morocco summons romantic images. Americans recognize Casablanca as the place where Sam played his song. In Rick's Place, the constabulary rounded up the usual suspects, and a beautiful friendship began. Dorothy Lamour, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope followed the road to the kingdom on North Africa's coast
OMAN
(h/t Dibsa 7/6) - Oman jails 12 more protesters, bringing total to 80
MUSCAT (Reuters) - An Omani court jailed 12 protesters from the coastal city of Sohar for up to three and a half years, a local paper said Wednesday, bringing the total number of people sentenced for taking part in the unrest to 80
PALESTINE
(h/t Dibsa 7/14 ) - Palestinians get boost from Arab League
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A Palestinian official says the Palestinians have received a boost from the Arab League in their quest to win recognition at the United Nations this fall
(h/t Dibsa 7/13 ) - Palestinian envoy to UN: European states will recognize Palestine before September
BUDAPEST − The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, is in the forefront of the Palestinian diplomatic move − now gaining momentum − before the General Assembly meet in September
SAUDI ARABIA
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - Basu: Saudi women are driving change
Americans may not be driving as much this holiday because of high gas prices. But in Saudi Arabia, where the price of gas is about half what it is here, one group of adults is not supposed to be driving anywhere, ever: Women
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - Saudi Arabia's clerics challenge King Abdullah's reform agenda
On a Friday at one o'clock, Sheikh Saad Bin Naser al-Shethri is leading prayers in a small mosque in an upmarket neighbourhood of Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The faithful fill two floors, listening to the cleric's sermon on the true sense of the traditional greeting "salaam aleikum" – peace be upon you. This, Shethri says, means love thy neighbour
SYRIA
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Syrian Forces Target Protesters Despite Mounting International Criticism
Activists say Syrian security forces have killed another person Thursday when they opened fire on protesters
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Obama Sharpens Rhetoric Against Syria’s Assad
U.S. President Barack Obama says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is “losing legitimacy in the eyes of his people,” and has missed “opportunity after opportunity” to present genuine reforms
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Social Media: a double-edged sword in Syria
(Reuters) - The byline has been withheld to protect the writer and those interviewed for the story. Reuters correspondents were expelled from Syrian shortly after unrest began in March
(h/t Dibsa 7/12) - Regime steps up information war
The Syrian authorities are stepping up their efforts to control the Internet and to harass those who are using the various online social networks to rally support for anti-government protests and to provide news and information
(h/t Dibsa 7/12) - U.S. and France step up pressure on Syria's Assad
(Reuters) - The United States said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had lost legitimacy and was losing his grip on power, and France called Tuesday for a Security Council meeting after Assad loyalists attacked the U.S. and French embassies in Damascus
TUNISIA
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - EU examines Tunisia's refugee crisis
TUNIS, Tunisia, July 14 (UPI) -- The European community must address the humanitarian challenges caused by refugees fleeing the Libyan war to Tunisia, a member of Parliament said
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - War and uprising keep away Tunisia's tourists
The whitewashed buildings in the town square gleam under a piercing blue sky on Tunisia's picturesque island of Djerba
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Tunisian PM blames repeated strikes for economic doldrums
TUNIS — Tunisian Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi on Wednesday painted a bleak picture of the national economy, which he blamed on repeated strikes that have paralysed several companies
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Tunisia looks to recast ties with West after Ben Ali
(Reuters) - - Tunisians are debating what kind of relationship they will have with Europe and the United States after an uprising this year unmasked the police state behind what was once touted in the West as an "economic miracle." Islamists, leftists and nationalists from the major political parties agree that Tunisia should push for relations on a more equal footing with the West, for better trade arrangements and avoiding debt
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
(h/t Dibsa 7/11 ) - UAE expands electoral colleges
The United Arab Emirates has expanded the number of electoral colleges which elect half of the members of the 40-strong Federal National Council, a local newspaper reported on Monday
(h/t Dibsa 6/15 ) - UAE urged to release five activists on trial
DUBAI — Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged Emirati authorities to drop charges against five activists, including a blogger and a lecturer, facing trial for "criticising" the government
WESTERN SAHARA
(h/t Dibsa 6/23) -
The latest round of U.N.-sponsored talks to resolve the conflict over Western Sahara foundered recently. In an email interview, Yahia H. Zoubir, a professor of international relations and international management and the director of research in geopolitics at Euromed Management in Marseilles, France, discussed the Western Sahara talks
YEMEN
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Opposition to Yemen’s opposition
After six months of ongoing peaceful protests, a fracturing of the armed forces, and ongoing violence in numerous parts of the country, Yemenis face increasingly dire conditions each day
(h/t Dibsa 7/14) - Analysis: Saleh's vow to return fragments chaotic Yemen
(Reuters) - Bandages cover the extensive burns on President Ali Abdullah Saleh's body, but he insists he will return Yemen -- a move threatening to further fragment a country convulsed by chaos
(h/t Dibsa 7/13) - Yemeni security forces, opposition clash in Taiz
(Reuters) - Security forces battled opposition protesters on Wednesday in Yemen's third largest city of Taiz, while thousands more marched in fresh protests in Sanaa to demand President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down
It bears repeating - Please Rec this diary.
Our Egyptian brethren articulated what people around the region are fighting for, though variations to the theme may exist from country to country. banner held by protesters and translated to English:
1 The departure of Mubarak
2 An end to the current Parliament
3 An end of the state of emergency
4 The creation of a national united government
5 A parliament elected by the people to modify the constitution and run the presidential elections
6 Put those responsible for the killings on trial
7 Put those responsible for stealing the country's money and other acts of corruption on trial
Will you help us gather updates?
Many hands make light work and we rely on teamwork for timely posting.
Here's how it works:
1. we invite you to join our wiki. (we'll need an email address from you)
2. you choose 1 or more countries you wish to gather citations for
3. go to the page of that country, click EDIT,
4. copy the mini template and fill in what the red text prompts
5. click SAVE
We're working on a publication schedule: Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday. Ideally we would see fresh citations in the wiki by late evening the day before. That is, posts from late Monday evening would be published in Tuesday morning's diary. (If you'd like produce a diary on a different day of the week, we'd love to show you how to update the template and paste it into your diary!)
It's really that simple! Please join us.
Resources:
Note: The old Mothership Diary has good list of resources.
Al Jazeera English - Watch Live (the Youtube link below should work for Mac users unable to load this.)
Al Jazeera live also available on: Dish Network channel 9410 OR DirecTV Channel 375 Link
Al Jazeera on Facebook: - http: www.facebook.com/aljazeera
Al Jazeera Live on YouTube
English Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
Arabic Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
BBC Middle East reporting
BBC Middle East and Arab Unrest
WorldWideTahrir{NEW} : Worldwide protests being organized to coincide with the upcoming ones in Egypt.
bicycle Hussein paladin - Why Iran 1979 Went to the Islamists and This One Won't
People to follow on twitter: - please suggest people for specific countries. Thank you!
@ArabRevolution - Region
@Dima_Khatib - Region
@March15Syria - Syria
@JNovak_Yemen - Yemen
@WomanfromYemen - Yemen
@Gheblawi - Libya
@ShababLibya - Libya
@feb17voices - Libya
@DrsForLibya - Libya
@libyanexpat - Libya
@lissnp - Iran
@prsianbanoo - Iran
@sandmonkey - Egypt
@JRamyRaoof - Egypt
@Elazul - Egypt
@Ssirgany - Egypt
@sharifkouddous
@monasosh
@ioerror
@ElBaradei
@SultanAlQassemi
@evanchill
@glcarlstrom
@nolanjazeera
@3arabawy
@shadihamid
@bencnn
@arabist
@speaktotweet: Egyptian Voice Tweets on Twitter
Previous Child Diaries:
Egypt and the Region Liveblog Archive by unaspenser
NOTE: We renamed the original "Egypt Liveblog" to "Witnessing Revolution". From Egypt the pro-democracy fire spread rapidly. It's not clear that it will be limited by geography or ethnicity. So, we wanted a name which states what is happening yet allows us to grow with the movement, wherever that will be. The number sequence will be continuous. The group name will remain the same. Only this particular diary series within the group changed names.
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