“It’s saved them for a bit.”Across the globe, the coronavirus outbreak is slamming the brakes on dreams of social change, halting a season of civil unrest from Hong Kong to Lebanon to Chile. There, the coronavirus provided a new opportunity for the movement to prove its value beyond street protests and slogans. “Of course the strike was about employee welfare, but it was also grounded in the idea that the Hong Kong government is still too beholden to Beijing,” said Antony Dapiran, the author of “City on Fire,” a book on the Hong Kong protests. “It was a really interesting case study of how last year’s protest movement had tangible results.”Despite new social distancing rules, the Hong Kong protests continue, particularly on days considered significant to the pro-democracy movement. Rather than quell a social movement, President Jair Bolsonaro’s response to the coronavirus appears to be fueling one.

Source: Washington Post April 04, 2020 11:01 UTC