Showing posts with label protests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label protests. Show all posts

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Syntagma Square Protests Live, Huge Crowds Gather in Athens

An estimated crowd of up to 250,000 protestors are continuing to rally in central Athens with Syntagma Square as the focal point of the protests against politicians, bankers and tax dodgers, as the government prepares to inflict another round of austerity demanded by its international lenders.

This live feed is watching Syntagma Square:


Location Information:

The square proper is bordered by Vassileos Georgiou A' Street to the north, Othonos Street to the south, Filellinon Street to the west and Amalias Avenue to the east. The eastern side of the square is higher than the western, and dominated by a set of marble steps leading to Amalias Avenue; beneath these lies the Syntagma metro station. The stairs emerge below between a pair of outdoor cafes, and are a popular city-centre gathering place. Syntagma also includes two green areas to the north and south, planted with shade trees, while in the center of the square a large water fountain traditionally hosts the occasionally sighted Syntagma pigeons, along with heat-tormented Athenians during the summer.

Syntagma Square is also the frequent site of political demonstrations. The Greek Parliament is immediately across Amalias Avenue to the east, and surrounded by the extensive National Gardens, which are open to the public. Every hour, the changing of the guard ceremony, performed by the Presidential Guard, is conducted in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the area between the square and parliament. On Sundays and official holidays, the ceremonial changing of the guard takes place with an army band and the majority of the 120 Evzones present at 11am.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Puerto del Sol Webcam Feed at Madrid Youth Unemployment Protest

Tens of thousands of protestors continue to occupy Madrid’s Puerta del Sol Square, a protest that is now being taken up by the young unemployed in cities all across Spain.

This live feed is in the Puerto del Sol Square:

Puerto del Sol Square webcam

Location Information:

The Puerta del Sol (Spanish for "Gate of the Sun") is one of the best known and busiest places in Madrid. This is the centre (Km 0) of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year. The New Year's celebration has been broadcast live on TV since 31 December 1962.

The Puerta del Sol contains a number of well known sights associated both domestically and internationally with Spain. On the south side, the old Post Office serves as the office of the President of Madrid, the head of the regional government of the Autonomous Community of Madrid (not to be confused with the Madrid City Council, which is housed elsewhere). Also on its south side, the square holds a mounted statue of Charles III of Spain, nicknamed "el rey alcalde" ("the king mayor") due to the extensive public works programme he set in motion. The famous Tio Pepe lighted sign is above the square's eastern building between the Calle de Alcalá and the Carrera de San Jerónimo. On the east side lies a statue of a bear and a madrone tree (madroño), the heraldic symbol of Madrid. Until 2009, the statue stood on the north side at the entrance to Calle del Carmen. The Mariblanca (actually Venus) marks the place of a former fountain.The Puerta is located in the very heart of Madrid. Immediately to the southwest lies the Plaza Mayor; the Palacio Real, the official home of the Royal Family, is further west. Parliament and the museum district are to the east and the train station Atocha is to the southeast.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Cairo Webcam River Nile, Tahrir Square, City Centre

Tahrir Square or Midan Tahrir, is a major public square in Downtown Cairo, Egypt. The square was originally called "Midan Ismailia", named after 19th century ruler Khedive Ismail, who commissioned the new downtown district's design.

This live webcam view is in the centre of Cairo, Egypt:

Cairo webcam

Cairo is also ranked as one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life. Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in the 10th Century, but the land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt due to its proximity to the ancient cities of Memphis, Giza and Fustat which are nearby to the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza.

The city's original name in Arabic is "Al-Qahira", which became "Cairo" after Europeans corrupted the name. Egyptians today often refer to Cairo as Maṣr, the Arabic pronunciation of the name for Egypt itself, emphasizing the city's continued role in Egyptian influence. Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab World, as well as the world's second-oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city, and the Arab League has had its headquarters in Cairo for most of its existence.