Big Day

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Kip
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Re: Big Day

Post by Kip » Sun Oct 28, 2018 11:04 pm

The protest wasn't supposed to start until tomorrow but the fires and ruckus started about an hour ago. First person already shot by the police in Santiago.

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2 ... -del-cibao



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Kip
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Re: Big Day

Post by Kip » Sun Oct 28, 2018 11:17 pm

Both from the public car transportation union, the ones I earlier called mafiosos.

Warning to businesses not to open:

Image

Warning to all public transportation and private vehicles that your car will be stoned and WI does broken out if you drive tomorrow:

Image

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Re: Big Day

Post by Stewmuse » Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:14 am

Sounds like they might be serious, even...
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Re: Big Day

Post by kurtdesign1 » Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:27 am

Not being a fluent spanish speaker I can't tell if there's somethign behind all of this. Are they giving one day as a protest to something specific or is this the beginning of something larger?

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Re: Big Day

Post by kurtdesign1 » Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:31 am

Nevermind. I just went to the previous page and read up. I can't quite blame them for wanting to protest but I never quite got the "exit strategy" of a forceful protest if those you're forcing to participate don't actually give a damn. Why would your adversary yield when all you're really displaying is your ability to break a law? Are the unions that powerful that the government would fear them?

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Re: Big Day

Post by Kip » Mon Oct 29, 2018 11:34 am

kurtdesign1 wrote:Nevermind. I just went to the previous page and read up. I can't quite blame them for wanting to protest but I never quite got the "exit strategy" of a forceful protest if those you're forcing to participate don't actually give a damn. Why would your adversary yield when all you're really displaying is your ability to break a law? Are the unions that powerful that the government would fear them?
I'm not in a position to understand these transport unions. They have tens of thousands of public cars under their control, and the government absolutely (to me) seems to fear them. They're allowed to do whatever the heck they want generally. Recently, with rising gas prices, they increased fares. The government is supposed to control these fare - and told the unions they can't raise them. The unions raised them anyway and basically invited the gov. to go have sex with itself. In response, the administration passed a new law with strict penalties for impeding transportation and staging these protests without proper approval (ha!). So, in response to that, we have today.

The difference I see now over the past 3 years' more localized protests is the scale and organization. These unions have tendrils everywhere in the government, and a huge supporter base. Rather than simply use that, they seem to be banding together with angry civic/anti-corruption groups, environmentalist groups, even feminist groups. The Green March is a still-growing 100k+ group that stage huge marches calling out corruption, and gave their support to today's protests. This regional work stoppage is mainly in the central/northern parts of the country, but there are now human chains and fires in the capital demanding president Medina step down over the ongoing Odebrecht corruption fiasco.

The country is certainly NOT near a meltdown, nor even major nationwide strife....but there's a clear trend in that direction. The grumbling is definitely growing at a quick clip.

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Re: Big Day

Post by kurtdesign1 » Mon Oct 29, 2018 12:44 pm

Kip wrote:
Mon Oct 29, 2018 11:34 am
kurtdesign1 wrote:Nevermind. I just went to the previous page and read up. I can't quite blame them for wanting to protest but I never quite got the "exit strategy" of a forceful protest if those you're forcing to participate don't actually give a damn. Why would your adversary yield when all you're really displaying is your ability to break a law? Are the unions that powerful that the government would fear them?
I'm not in a position to understand these transport unions. They have tens of thousands of public cars under their control, and the government absolutely (to me) seems to fear them. They're allowed to do whatever the heck they want generally. Recently, with rising gas prices, they increased fares. The government is supposed to control these fare - and told the unions they can't raise them. The unions raised them anyway and basically invited the gov. to go have sex with itself. In response, the administration passed a new law with strict penalties for impeding transportation and staging these protests without proper approval (ha!). So, in response to that, we have today.

The difference I see now over the past 3 years' more localized protests is the scale and organization. These unions have tendrils everywhere in the government, and a huge supporter base. Rather than simply use that, they seem to be banding together with angry civic/anti-corruption groups, environmentalist groups, even feminist groups. The Green March is a still-growing 100k+ group that stage huge marches calling out corruption, and gave their support to today's protests. This regional work stoppage is mainly in the central/northern parts of the country, but there are now human chains and fires in the capital demanding president Medina step down over the ongoing Odebrecht corruption fiasco.

The country is certainly NOT near a meltdown, nor even major nationwide strife....but there's a clear trend in that direction. The grumbling is definitely growing at a quick clip.

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Until that last paragraph I was going to bring up that this reeks of a political coup. Political may be too formal a word. Revolution? I'm surprised you are so sure there is not a meltdown afoot. I understand that no where in your mentions was the military so I'm assuming that means you believe they still lie in the hands of the President. If that's the case, I agree with you. That said, in times like these that could mean some of these turn very bloody. Or in situations similar to a few Muslim Brotherhood exchanges from the past 10 years, I'd be afraid of the military turning on the government heads themselves...
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Re: Big Day

Post by Kip » Mon Oct 29, 2018 1:09 pm

Theres a good bit of video coming out this morning with the military turning on the people in isolated pockets.

https://www.facebook.com/mocanosrd/vide ... 1730/?t=16
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Re: Big Day

Post by Kip » Mon Oct 29, 2018 1:13 pm

White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise....

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Re: Big Day

Post by Kip » Mon Oct 29, 2018 1:28 pm

There's also the point that the current governing party has had control of every level of government for 20 years, with crime and corruption more pervasive than anyone's memory - which extends into the days of Trujillo's dictatorship. They have full control of *every* branch and level. So much so that they changed the country's constitution to allow Medina to run again past his term limits last last election cycle. There's talk of doing the same to keep him in power again - and he won't deny that he will seek reelection. He says he will make an announcement about it in March. He has some (albeit waning) support still in the populace, but his supporters have been installed in all the powerful positions throughout government. The segment of the population that isn't happy is large, growing, and growing far more vocal than in the past.
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