World wide, protesters were silenced! 

"It's the economy, stupid"

- James Carville (strategist for Bill Clinton 1992)

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   In 2019 major movements in countries like France, Zimbabwe, Lebanon, Sudan, Chile, from Puerto Rico to Iran, India to Iraq, Venezuela to Algeria, Haiti to Spain, Hong Kong to Colombia, millions of people reached their breaking points, the cost of everyday necessities like gas, bread, even a subway ticket soared. Throughout the world, citizens took to the streets in 2019 to raise their voices against inequality, corruption and bad governance.

     While each protest has its own unique dynamic and goals, protests that erupted throughout the world signaled critical shifts in the ways in which governments and citizens relate. In some cases, mass protests ousted longtime leaders.

    What started as protests over the price of bread spiraled quickly into calls for regime change.

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     Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes in Darfur, was ousted from 30 years in power & was sentenced to two years in detention after mass protests gripped the nation. Iraq’s prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned. As did Lebanon’s prime minister, Saad Hariri amid protests. In Algeria President Abdelaziz Bouteflika left after 20 years in power. Bolivia President Evo Morales stepped down in November 2019, followed by Jeanine Anez the interim leader. Puerto Rico saw the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rossello after leaked messages revealed corruption and bigotry.

      But in other cases, mass protests stalled or stagnated, leaving governments and citizens in precarious states.

      In Venezuela, where President Nicolás Maduro was expected to start his sixth term in office in January, violent protests threw his leadership into question with the rise of opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who proclaimed presidency on constitutional grounds. While Guidó was recognized by many world leaders, a standoff endures as embattled Maduro continued to lead.

     Other Latin American countries like Nicaragua and Ecuador saw mass protests that were stalled or shutdown with excessive police force and government-led crackdowns on dissent.

     In Haiti spoke thousands spoke out against mass corruption committed by Haiti’s political class which included the embezzlement of funds well over $1 billion received through Venezuela’s discounted PetroCaribe oil alliance program. While President Jovenel Moïse has attempted to quell protesters, Haiti remained embroiled in protests.

And in Hong Kong, an extradition bill that sparked the fuse for massive protests that turned violent as thousands of Hong Kongers fight to push back against interference from Beijing.

     Across the world in Iran, a major fuel hike in December pushed protesters onto the streets, only to be met with an internet blackout followed by a bloody crackdown, killing dozens of protesters.

     In January 2019 in France the yellow vest movement marched against the government’s increased gas taxes. After 11 straight Saturdays of anti-government marches that turned violent, Macron promised debates that quelled the dissent till December 2019, when pension reforms shut down France again.

     In January 2019, where opposition leader Guaidó had declared himself president of Venezuela, instead of longtime President Maduro. Nations quickly took sides as protests swelled over the presidential crisis, as the crisis worsened, thousands fled to Colombia, even soldiers defected, while mass protests continued on the streets of Caracas, but to this day, Maduro remains in power and inflation continues to soar and living conditions plummet.

    In February, as soaring food and fuel prices made life unbearable in Haiti, citizens spilled onto the streets to protest against systemic corruption. Haiti nearly came to a standstill and the government promised reforms. But a $3 billion scandal with PetroCaribe, Venezuela’s oil subsidy program, sparked more rounds of protest calling for President Jovenal Moise’s resignation. There was so much unrest, Carnival was canceled, and Haiti's musicians lost more than their stage. Moise continues to hold on to power even as citizens still struggle with a deepening economic crisis.

     in February 2019 Algerians called for ailing, longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down. When the nation's powerful army advised Bouteflika to step down amid mass protests, he resigned on April 2, 2019. When new elections were called for in December 2019, but Algerians took to the streets once again to call for “real reforms.”

     What started as protests over the price of bread in Sudan spiraled quickly into calls for regime change for Omar al-Bashir, who has ruled for over 30 years and was wanted for war crimes for his role in the Darfur genocide to step down. Bashir was ousted on April 11, 2019, after months-long, deadly demonstrations, marches and protests across the country. Bashir plans to appeal his two-year jail sentence on corruption charges.

     In April 2019, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam proposed an Extradition Bill allowing extradition back to China. By June, thousands of Hong Kongers spilled into the streets to reject this level of interference from Beijing. Protests turned violent as students occupied Hong Kong University and Hong Kong's secret societies began to attack protesters. Violence has left its scars but as one Tiananmen leader says Hong Kong protesters are different because they’ve tasted freedom and are ready to defend it at all costs.

     In late October 2019, Lebanon’s proposed 'WhatsApp tax' unleashed a flood of anger that set the streets in Beirut in flames, this quickly turned into larger anti-government demonstrations, calling for the end of entrenched corruption and political elitism. Prime Minister Saad Hariri stepped down amid the protests, but the country has slid into a financial freefall as banks and businesses shuttered their doors.

     October 2019, Chile has been gripped by waves of social unrest unprecedented since its transition to democracy in 1990. Considered an oasis of stability in Latin America, Chile was plunged into turmoil when subway fares were increased. Protesters, were met with brutal repression as the government called a state of emergency that lasted one week. New reforms were introduced, but there are hopes for constitutional reform.

     After over 50 years of civil war, Colombia’s peace process has faltered and thousands of people took to the streets in November 2019 in a national strike that morphed into an anti-government protest. Under the Ivan Duque administration, hundreds of social and Indigenous leaders have been murdered or disappeared while systemic corruption and poverty continue to ravage many parts of the country.

     In Iran on Nov. 15, anti-government unrest began when the government abruptly raised fuel prices by as much as 300%. Protests popped up spontaneously in over 100 cities and towns, with young and working-class protesters demanding clerical leaders step down. But with a complete internet blackout, it was difficult to source news from Tehran. It was revealed later that these protests were snuffed out by a security crackdown, and the government admitted to killing protesters.