Photos: The Year in Protests

Protesters around the world demanded change this year. While most protests were sparked by local issues, such as rising fuel prices or dissatisfaction with a leader, there were commonalities. Demonstrators shared many of the same grievances, including over economic inequality, corruption, and poor governance.

“People across the board are generally pushing to have their voices heard, and they feel like their current political systems have not been responsive,” Saskia Brechenmacher of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told CFR. “So they’re trying to use other channels, such as protesting, to make a difference.”

Dominated by young people and largely leaderless, the protests have had varying degrees of success, and many of them continue today.

The status. In April 2019, the government canceled the fuel tax increase and announced tax cuts for the middle class. The protesters called for more reforms, but they struggled to maintain momentum, with many disagreeing over how to force change. Yellow Vest candidates garnered less than 1 percent of votes in European Parliament elections the following month.

“It is fundamentally an anti-elite, anti-establishment movement. It is also very much a visibility movement, a movement of people who are saying: I want to be seen and heard.” —Celia Belin, Brookings Institution Visiting Fellow

The status. Maduro remains in power with security forces largely still loyal to him and with support from Cuba, Russia, and Turkey. Guaido, recognized as the interim president by about fifty countries including the United States, continues to call his supporters to protest in the streets. Talks between the two sides have so far failed.

“Past efforts for change in Venezuela foundered on divisions within the domestic opposition and the international community. Today’s consensus in and out of the country offers the best chance of bringing democracy back, but not if the U.S. breaks it.” —Shannon K. O’Neil, Senior Fellow

The status. Many protesters boycotted the December election to choose Bouteflika’s successor and demanded that more be done to address corruption and that army elites get out of government, including Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah. Former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune, seen as the military’s preferred candidate, won the election.

“Revolutions entail the simultaneous overthrow of a mutually reinforcing political and social order. That has not happened in Algeria. It may yet, but until it does the political advantage lies with the existing elite who control the guns and, importantly, the means to use the institutions of the state against their opponents.” —Steven A. Cook, Senior Fellow

The status. In August, the military council and protest leaders agreed to create a joint military-civilian council that will run the country for three years, at which point a new election will be held. The swearing in of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok marked a major shift for a country that has been dominated by military regimes since its independence. In December, Bashir was sentenced to two years in detention for corruption. Human rights organizations report that more than one hundred people were killed during the protests, likely many of them by Sudan’s intelligence agency.

“Lasting stability and growth in Sudan requires structural reform and a response to popular demands for a new basis of political legitimacy.” —Michelle Gavin, Senior Fellow

The status. The Hong Kong government withdrew the extradition bill in October. But protests have continued, with some becoming violent. At least five thousand people have been arrested and hundreds of others injured. Some experts fear that Beijing could send its troops into the city. The United States has also become involved, with President Donald J. Trump signing a law that mandates sanctions on Chinese officials for human rights abuses.

“Beijing knows that military repression in Hong Kong would be even more disastrous to its international relations than the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Yet it will use force if necessary.” —Jerome A. Cohen, Adjunct Senior Fellow

The status. Rossello stepped down in August. By law, Puerto Rico’s secretary of state should have replaced him, but he also resigned, along with more than a dozen other officials, because of his involvement in the scandal. Wanda Vazquez, the secretary of justice, was eventually sworn in as interim governor, and a new election is set for November 2020.

“Puerto Rico’s economy is currently benefiting from the disaster and recovery spending approved after Maria. But that funding will run out—so we more or less know that Puerto Rico faces a significant negative economic shock over the next ten to fifteen years.” —Brad W. Setser, Senior Fellow

The status. Young people continue to skip school in protest of inaction. Some countries have strengthened their commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate, but scientists warn that more needs to be done. Negotiators at this year’s UN climate talks largely failed to make progress on commitments to reduce emissions.

“World leaders need some outside-the-box thinking about steps to strengthen their national commitments to shrink their greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the next phase of the Paris Agreement.” —Amy Myers Jaffe, Senior Fellow

The status. The WhatsApp tax was quickly dropped. Prime Minister Saad Hariri proposed economic reforms, including halving the salaries of parliament members, but protesters said they were not enough. Hariri and his cabinet resigned in late October; a new government has yet to form.

The status. Pinera initially sent troops to the streets. He later reversed the fare hike and announced some reforms, including increasing the minimum wage and raising taxes on the wealthy, but the protests continue. Pinera was forced to pull Chile out as the host of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in November and a major UN climate conference the following month. More than two dozen people have died, and six thousand people have been detained. Lawmakers agreed to hold a countrywide referendum in April 2020 on whether to rewrite the constitution.

“The immediate trigger—the equivalent of a four cent rise in metro fare—struck a nerve among many Chileans, who say income growth has not kept pace with rising education, housing, and health-care costs.” —CFR In Brief

The status. Opposition leaders created a committee to establish a transitional government, but Moise has refused to step down. Shortages of food and fuel are still widespread. UN agencies estimate that ongoing unrest has left some 3.7 million people suffering from food insecurity, and experts warn that the humanitarian crisis is likely to get worse.

“So far, Moise has refused to budge, though some of his allies have pressed him to make concessions, such as bringing members of the opposition into his government. Even if he did step down, the struggle to replace him could be equally chaotic.” —CFR In Brief

The status. After Morales resigned, opposition leader Jeanine Anez Chavez declared herself interim president. But clashes between Morales’s predominantly indigenous supporters and state security forces have intensified, and dozens of people have died. Morales has called his exit a coup and said he is ready to return to Bolivia, even though Anez has barred him from running in a new election, which is supposed to be held within three months.

“Reinstating democratic processes will be a top priority to placate protesters, and Anez has just ninety days to organize a new presidential election. The goodwill of the military’s rank and file will go a long way in helping Bolivia’s next president establish order.” —Paul J. Angelo, Fellow

The status. Security forces have responded overwhelmingly with violence. More than four hundred people have died and thousands more injured since protests began. In late November, Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned, but protesters have demanded more, including early elections and accountability for government corruption and violence by security forces. 

“The only way protesters will get what they want is if Iraq’s ruling elite perceives it to be more dangerous to ignore their demands or to make only cosmetic changes—as they have done so far—than to enact the dramatic and difficult reforms needed to galvanize the private sector economy.” —Max Boot, Senior Fellow

The status. President Hassan Rouhani said the government would compensate many Iranians for the increased fuel prices. Meanwhile, security forces quickly quashed the protests, reportedly killing more than two hundred people, detaining nearly seven thousand, and shutting down the internet for days. The country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, said the crackdown was justified.

“The Iranian government might gain control of the streets once again, as has happened in the past. But the latest demonstrations reveal an uncomfortable truth for the regime: that the Islamic Republic is increasingly a government without supporters.” —Ray Takeyh, Senior Fellow