In October 2011, seven months into the Syrian government’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, President Bashar al-Assad warned western powers that they risked provoking an “earthquake” that would “burn” the entire Middle East region if they attempted an intervention in Syria. His words were widely dismissed by critics as scare-mongering, and activist groups accused the … Continue reading »
Anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time in Italy knows there is more to the Mediterranean peninsula than sunshine, opera and olive groves. Italy’s reputation as a hot-spot tourist destination often eclipses the shadier sides of its social and political dealings – but in this case out of sight is most certainly … Continue reading »
August this year in London was heralded by the crash of breaking glass, the wail of police sirens and the smell of livelihoods and businesses going up in flames. Thousands of rioters and looters smashed their way into the public consciousness by instigating the worst violence the capital had seen for nearly fifty years. In … Continue reading »
Emerging from the depths of Clapham Junction station yesterday morning I was greeted by the husk of a burnt-out building, its blackened windows staring sightlessly at the commuters scurrying past the neon-clad policemen standing guard. Beyond the charred wreckage, rows of boarded-up shop fronts stretched as far as the eye could see, the road and … Continue reading »
While Spain’s indignados have made international headlines, there’s a quieter series of revolutions taking place in Italy. Continue reading »
