Global Protests, DW

 
 
 

Vocabulary

arrest	election	take to the streets
protest	include	business as usual
fed up	respond	say/said/said
dialog	fair (3)	feed/fed/fed
create	civilized	around (2)
means	join (2)	take to the streets
option	right (4)	human rights
allow	too late	corruption
local	respect	stand/stood/stood (2)
trend	listen up	run/ran/run (3)
elite	demand	stand up (2)
belief	remain	express (2)
insist	fight (2)	take away (2)
status	violence	demonstrate
realize	encroach	frustration
aware	miss (3)	message (2)
hope	authority	out of touch
ignore

 
 
 
 
 
 

Video: Global Protests, DW

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Hong Kong . . . Bogota . . . Beirut . . .

All around the world, young people taking to the streets, saying no more business as usual.
This YouTuber in Moscow, arrested for organizing protests this past summer, that included tens of thousands of demonstrators, many of the fed-up youth.

Moscow Female Protester, One: “Young people want dialog with the government. But they don’t have the means for creating change that civilized countries have, like fair elections. So the only option that remains is taking to the streets.

People are protesting because they want change.”

Moscow Male Protester, Two: “Human rights are very much encroached upon in our country. And that’s because people themselves have allowed their voices to be ignored.”

Local youth; part of a global trend. Young people standing up for human rights in countries that are run by what they see as out of tough old elites.

Hong Kongers are demanding more democracy, and respect for basic freedoms.

Hong Kong Male Protester, three: “I joined the protests because I think it’s important to fight for your rights. If you’re just complacent and you don’t stand up for your rights and your beliefs, then they’ll get taken away without you realizing one day.”

The same in Iraq . . . in Sudan . . . and Colombia.

Some people insisting the government responding to people’s needs.

Colombian Male Protester, four: “We have human rights here in Colombia, but not for everybody: the higher your status, the more rights you have; if you’re at the bottom, you have none.”

In Lebanon, they’re protesting against sexual violence, and government corruption. One young woman expressed frustration that protests were necessary at all.

Lebanon Female Protester, five: “It’s sad that we as humans, these rights are our rights. In each country, we need to have them. And it’s sad that we are protesting for something that is our own right to have. That’s all.”

Different places, one message: young people aware of human rights, and of what they’re missing. They just hope that the authorities listen up before it’s too late.

 

 

Questions

1. People are only protesting in the US and UK. Is this true or false?

2. In Russia, can issues be resolved through negotiations and dialogue?

3. Do the authorities abuse their powers or take advantage of their powers? Do they care about ordinary people?

4. Hong Kongers want higher wages and pensions, according to the video. Is this right or wrong?

5. Can they take freedom for granted?

6. In Colombia, everyone has equal rights. Everyone is equal before the law. Is this correct or incorrect?

7. What were the main gripes in Lebanon?

 

A. There have been protests in my city and country. Yes or no? Are protests common in your city?

B. Who demonstrates? What are they protesting about?

C. Do protests usually bring about change, are they futile, both, in the middle, it varies, it depends?

D. What should people, governments and businesses do?

E. What might happen in the future?