Ethiopia's State of Emergency Makes Posting To Facebook a Crime (qz.com) 38
Due to anti-government protests occurring in the country, Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency that, among other things, makes it a crime to post updates on Facebook about the current status of the country. "The military command will take action on those watching and posting on these social media outlets," Siraj Fegessa, Ethiopia's minister of defense, said on state television. Those who violate the terms of the state of emergency may be subject to prison for up to five years. Quartz reports: Ethiopia's largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and the Amhara, are protesting what they see as the marginalization of their rights and freedoms by the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), dominated by the Tigray minority. After a week of intensified protests that left businesses and government property destroyed, prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn declared a state of emergency on Oct 9 for the next six months. Under the state of emergency, all expressions or communication that could incite violence have been banned, including the now famous protest gesture of raised hands, crossed at the wrist. Authorities can search and detain citizens without prior approval. Discussing issues with foreigners that could incite violence or communicating with groups deemed terrorists is also illegal.
Rules for thee but not for me (Score:3)
Under the state of emergency, all expressions or communication that could incite violence have been banned,
How can they communicate that new rule without violating it?
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Clearly, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, view themselves above the law,
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Silly Ethiopians. Don't they know if they want to decree a human-rights-violating state of emergency, they also have to ban public gatherings?! Come on! France has been oppressing the right way for a full year now...
https://news.vice.com/article/... [vice.com]
"France's state of emergency legislation allows the government and the police to search and detain people without a warrant, place suspects under house arrest without prior judicial clearance, block certain websites, and ban public gatherings."
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LOL. "The state of emergency is entirely consistent with France's modern military strategy of immediate and utter surrender. Following the terrorist attacks, since it was not clear who to surrender to, the French surrendered to their own government, which enjoys 70% popular support for the state of emergency that has suspended basic democratic civil rights, and you have complete and willing submission to a total electronic surveillance state."
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Everybody is equal, but some are more equal than others.
This is terrible! (Score:4, Funny)
Only one government was brave enough to make posting to Facebook a crime? What a travesty! ;)
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Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
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Re: Have you ever noticed? (Score:1)
What, you think they're going to call themselves COBRA, HYDRA or the Empire of Blood?
Even the Rock knows enough to call himself the People's Champion. And he betrayed the United States of America no less than five times. Six if we count both aliens.
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Rather than guessing here is a solid signal that any particular bit of legislation is corrupt, the politicians who vote for it, don't bother to read it :/ .
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The more oppressive a government is, the more likely their name will include words like "people's", "republic", "democratic", "union", etc..
The republic of the united states of america, is therefore due for a name upgrade:
The (rich) people's democratic republic of the unionised states of america.
The most oppressive form of government is one where you pretend to have freedom because then you yourself form part of the opression. Unfortunately at this stage most of us are in countries where we are being boiled like proverbial frogs.
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The more oppressive a government is, the more likely their name will include words like "people's", "republic", "democratic", "union", etc..
You mean like with "Honest John's Quality Cars"?
When can we get this here? (Score:2)
How is this enforceable? (Score:2)
So, almost as bad as France's "state of emergency" (Score:3)
"Under the state of emergency, all expressions or communication that could incite violence have been banned... Authorities can search and detain citizens without prior approval."
They would just need to add a ban on public gatherings to have the same conditions as France's state of "emergency" that has been in place for a full year now and been condemned [repeatedly] by the UN human rights council. As disturbing as such a thing is in Ethiopia, it is even more shocking in a "western democracy."
https://news.vice.com/article/... [vice.com]
"France's state of emergency legislation allows the government and the police to search and detain people without a warrant, place suspects under house arrest without prior judicial clearance, block certain websites, and ban public gatherings."
"They criticized France for imposing 'excessive and disproportionate restrictions on fundamental freedoms.'"
http://www.un.org/apps/news/st... [un.org]
"In a list of concerns... regarding several state of emergency and surveillance laws that relate to the legitimate rights of privacy and freedoms – of expression, peaceful assembly and association."
"The UN experts also expressed alarm that environmental activists in France have been under house arrest in connection with the state of emergency invoked following the November attacks."
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The world only knows about the most deadly attacks, but there is a continuous struggle with radical Muslims in France. The majority of the attacks are intimidations, fights, destruction of churches, stone throwing groups, public prayers that block all traffic, rapes, murders, ... They don't get the headlines in foreign media. One article has caught attention of foreign media. The burkini girl. This was a set up. The police that ordered the girl to remove the burkini were not real police officers. The girl a
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Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
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True. France has even outdone the USA however with terrorist over-reaction... They have suspended democratic principles for over a year and even passed their own "Patriot Act on Steroids"...
https://news.vice.com/article/... [vice.com]
"France's state of emergency legislation allows the government and the police to search and detain people without a warrant, place suspects under house arrest without prior judicial clearance, block certain websites, and ban public gatherings."
"UN experts expressed alarm that environmenta