Activism in 2020: Notable Movements Across the Globe
2020 is a year that will always be remembered by COVID-19, but it was also a year where some of the most important activism events took place. Here are some movements in various continents that we, the TLMUN Herald team, think are the most notable in 2020.
ASIA
China: First #MeToo Case Gets Court Hearing
In May, China passed its first civil code that expanded the definition of sexual harassment. Zhou Xiaoxuan, who accused television host Zhu Jun of harassing her while she was an intern at CCTV, had also finally got her case discussed in a court hearing
Hong Kong: Pro-Democracy Protests
In 2020, Hong Kong saw a series of pro-democracy protests that rocked the nation for more than 6 months. The protests began in June with the main purpose of having the government withdraw a bill that would allow the extradition of fugitives to mainland China. A major concern regarding this bill is that Beijing could potentially use it to prosecute people for political reasons under the Chinese legal system.
The protests began as peaceful, but soon escalated to violent incidents such as people being shot with live rounds, hit fatally by bricks and set on fire. The movement has presented five major demands:
- Fully withdraw the extradition bill
- Set up an independent inquiry to probe police brutality
- Withdraw a characterization of early protests as “riots”
- Release those arrested at protests
- Implement universal suffrage in Hong Kong
Thailand: Protests Against the Monarchy
Protesters oppose an increase in the king’s constitutional powers since 2017, after the current monarch, King Maha Vajiralongkorn succeeded his widely revered father King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Besides expressing anger against the king’s lavish and indifferent lifestyle, protestors have also voiced concerns that the monarchy is too close to the army, and that this may undermine democracy.
India: Farmers’ Protests
These protests began when Prime Minister Narendra Modi enacted three laws that will greatly impact the agricultural field in September 2020. The main concerns of the farmers were that these laws will reduce the price of their products and remove safeguards that protect them from corporate exploitation.
Belarus: Protests Against Dictatorship
After long-term (26 years, to be exact) President Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected in a landslide victory on August 9, Belarusians took to the streets to protest against an allegedly rigged election besides calling for Lukashenko’s resignation. The crowd’s anger against the President’s authoritarianism has been cultivated over years as other political rivals have been either jailed or exiled.
ASIA-AFRICA: MIDDLE EAST
Turkey: Protests Against Femicide
Following the brutal murder of 27-year-old Pinar Gultekin, protestors — women and men alike — marched in opposition to violence against females. This also started the #ChallengeAccepted movement on social media, which aimed to support women all over the world who are facing gender-based violence.
Iran: Headscarf Protests
For 40 years, Iran’s Islamic Revolution has mandated women to wear the hijab for the sake of modesty, and violators will either face public prosecution and/or shame. In August 2020, protests against this restricting dress code began in response to a video of Azam Jangravi, who climbed atop an electricity transformer box and waved her headscarf high in the air.
That concludes our short list of the global activism movements that took place in 2020. May the change brought about by these movements last not just throughout this year, but for many generations to come as well.
EUROPE
Poland: Battle for Abortion Rights
After a court ruling in October that would essentially ban abortion for all instances, large protests were sparked in cities across Poland in opposition to the ruling. In light of these rallies, the government has delayed the implementation of said ban.
AFRICA
Nigeria: End SARS
The #EndSARS movement began when a video allegedly showing a Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officer shooting a young man surfaced online on October 3. SARS is a longstanding police force that was given a special remit to use any tactics to stop crime. Over time, they evolved into a brutal and uncontrollable force, causing fatal harm to many innocent Nigerians, especially the youth.
NORTH AMERICA
USA: Black Lives Matter
Perhaps the movement that defined 2020, Black Lives Matter is an international activist group that protests against police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people. Protestors also called for the defunding of the police and an end to systemic racism. Although the movement was founded by black Americans, it also sparked important conversations concerning racism against other minority groups such as the Asian and Native Americans. The movement also blew up among the international community, sparking protests and demonstrations in almost every continent.
Mexico: Protests Against Gender-Based Violence
Following a historic spike in femicides, which refers to the killing of women and girls for their gender, Mexican women marched in protest against gender-based violence on November 9. According to government statistics, 10 women are murdered each day in Mexico on average, while femicides have increased by 137 percent over the past five years.
SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil: Demonstrations Against Jair Bolsonaro
In late March, Brazilians protested against President Jair Bolsonaro’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. This came after the President downplayed the coronavirus despite having thousands of cases in Brazil. A statement from the Health Ministry saying that the public health system would collapse by the end of April also added fuel to the public outrage.
That concludes our short list of the global activism movements that took place in 2020. May the change brought about by these movements last not just throughout this year, but for many generations to come as well.
[Written by: Tiffany Chan and Sarah Chong]
