CounterCurrents: Mexican Protests Continue As Consumer Prices Rise

Dear Friend,

Wednesday marked the 11th day of protests against what has become known as the gasolinazo, the gasoline price shock decreed by the Peña Nieto administration on December 28. Protests took place in the Mexican states along the US-Mexico border, including San Luis Potosí, Coahuila, Sinaloa, and Baja California Norte. Mobilizations also took place in the central states of Morelos and Hidalgo and in Mexico City. In Coahuila, truck drivers set up barricades across the Saltillo-Monterrey Highway. To the east, a caravan began in San Luis Potosí for a rally in Mexico City against the next fuel shock scheduled for February.

Malayalam actor Alancier Ley Lopez made a unique plea for communal harmony in a one man protest show in Kasarkod, Kerala. He staged the show to express his protest against  BJP-RSS’s vicious targetting of Malayalam filmmaker Kamal. BJP state general secretary had ordered Kamal to leave the country, just because he happens to be a Muslim.

And also more stories from around the world. 

If you don't mind, and if you think the content of this news letter is critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our news letter here http://www.countercurrents.org/news-letter/. 

In Solidarity

Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org




Mexican Protests Continue As Consumer Prices Rise
by Rafael Azul 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/mexican-protests-continue-as-consumer-prices-rise/

Wednesday marked the 11th day of protests against what has become known as the gasolinazo, the gasoline price shock decreed by the Peña Nieto administration on December 28. Protests took place in the Mexican states along the US-Mexico border, including San Luis Potosí, Coahuila, Sinaloa, and Baja California Norte. Mobilizations also took place in the central states of Morelos and Hidalgo and in Mexico City. In Coahuila, truck drivers set up barricades across the Saltillo-Monterrey Highway. To the east, a caravan began in San Luis Potosí for a rally in Mexico City against the next fuel shock scheduled for February.





Enough Fearmongering: Only One Democratic State Is Possible In Palestine And Israel
by Dr Ramzy Baroud 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/enough-fearmongering-only-one-democratic-state-is-possible-in-palestine-and-israel/


Fed up by the illusions of their own failed leadership, according to a recent poll, two thirds of Palestinians now agree that a two-state solution is not possible. And that margin keeps on growing as fast as the massive illegal settlement enterprise dotting the Occupied West Bank and Jerusalem





Fury At Azaria Verdict Is Israel’s Trump Moment
by Jonathan Cook 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/fury-at-azaria-verdict-is-israels-trump-moment/

The United Kingdom has Brexit. The United States, an incoming president Trump. And Israel now has Elor Azaria. It may not have the same ring, but ultimately the turning point could prove as decisive.





How Anti-Capitalists Can Seize The Moment As Trump Enters The White House
by Alex Knight

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/how-anti-capitalists-can-seize-the-moment-as-trump-enters-the-white-house/

The election of Donald Trump to U.S. President has the potential to be a disaster on many levels. But it is also a unique opportunity that we must seize to create a future worth living in. For the next 4-8 years, let’s protest Trump, but let’s also confront and disrupt racism, xenophobia, sexism and transphobia throughout society. Let’s turn chants of “Not My President!” into “No More Presidents!”[iii]Let’s challenge not only the legitimacy of the Electoral College but of corporate-funded electoral politics in general. Let’s practice direct democratic models of decision-making. Let’s ground our protests and activism in political education through reading groups and collective visions for liberation. Let’s learn to accept and embrace our differences, rather than fear them. Let’s develop systems of mutual accountability and conflict resolution rooted in transformative justice, that won’t destroy relationships or one another’s mental health. Let’s f
ind a
balance between fighting on the front lines and caring for ourselves and one another, so that we can maintain the struggle over the long haul.






“The Love For Your Underwear Is Not Patriotism”: Malayalam Actor Alancier’s Plea For Communal Harmony

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/the-love-of-your-underwear-is-not-patriotism-malayalam-actor-alanciers-plea-for-communal-harmony/


Malayalam actor Alancier Ley Lopez made a unique plea for communal harmony in a one man protest show in Kasarkod, Kerala. He staged the show to express his protest against  BJP-RSS’s vicious targetting of Malayalam filmmaker Kamal. BJP state general secretary had ordered Kamal to leave the country, just because he happens to be a Muslim.






Why Surveillance Is A Big Deal!
by Gopal Krishna 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/why-surveillance-is-a-big-deal/

Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar headed three-judge bench asked, “Surveillance to what. Is it a big deal?” This seemingly innocent question posed on January 5, 2017 merits considered reply. The other two judges were Justice N V Ramana and Justice D Y Chandrachud.






The Politics On West Pakistan Refugees
by Abdul Majid Zargar

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/the-politics-on-west-pakistan-refugees/

It must be said that While the world is slow in resolving the long outstanding dispute of Kashmir, India is fast widening its scope of intervention in the state to strengthen its hold. Its bid to issue domicile certificates to WPRs is one of the few arrows in its quiver to aim at demographic character of the state. And the cabal of local political thugs are making every effort to make Indian effort a success. Another Palestine is in the making, if the Indian attempt goes unchallenged.





Confusion About ‘Nation-State’ Is Dangerous For Sikhs
by Jaspal Singh Sidhu 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/confusion-about-nation-state-is-dangerous-for-sikhs/

Of late, some thinkers of the Sikhs, a minority constituting less than two per cent of India’s population, are praising and advocating for a separate ‘nation-state’ as the best political solution for the emancipation of the besieged community. Such thinkers go to the extent of harrying and hounding those Sikh intellectuals who oppose the concept of ‘nation-state’, a Western construct.





UN System Owes Sri Lankan Tamils Remedial Justice
by Kumarathasan Rasingam 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/un-system-owes-sri-lankan-tamils-remedial-justice/

UN can urge Sri Lanka to find a just and durable political solution to the Tamils in the North and East of Sri Lanka under a Federal System of Government with the right of self-determination.  Failing which UN must take action to conduct a referendum in the North and East of Sri Lanka to get the people’s voice regarding their future





System Failure In Kashmir
by Mohammad Ashraf 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/12/system-failure-in-kashmir/

Just a foot of snow throws life out of gear which is a system failure due tolack of accountability at the top management level