Zimbabwe shuts down internet amid violent response to gas protests

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/...et-amid-violent-response-gas-protests-n960141

"The world must quickly step in to remove this blanket of darkness that has been put on the country," one opposition activist said.

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe was under an internet blackout on Friday as authorities extended a communications ban to cover emails after days of deadly protests over price increases that pushed the cost of a gallon of gas to almost $13.

The government has said three people died during demonstrations that broke out on Monday after President Emmerson Mnangagwa raised fuel prices by 150 percent. Lawyers and activists say the toll was much higher and that security forces used violence and carried out mass arrests to quell the unrest.
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This is the same fate that awaits South Africa as the natives have started seizing land: a downward spiral into chaos & ruin.

My nephew works for State & is currently stationed in our embassy in Pretoria. He's due to come home for a break this summer. I hope to get his take on this situation in southern Africa.

To be fair, ALL nations "shut down" the Internet in one form or another.

1. China has monitors who immediately delete phrases such as "judicial independence."

2. Even the United Kingdom will punish you if you post certain comments, e.g., re: immigration.

3. Here in the States, some websites have been removed from the Web for "hate speech."

So it is no surprise that Zimbabwe is restricting the use of the Internet. (When the previous dictator was "invited" to retire, the people were jubilant. Of course, some wise people knew that they would exchange one dictator for another.)

Hope your nephew is well. I hear that crime there is unbelievable.

TheParser said:

To be fair, ALL nations "shut down" the Internet in one form or another.

1. China has monitors who immediately delete phrases such as "judicial independence."

2. Even the United Kingdom will punish you if you post certain comments, e.g., re: immigration.

3. Here in the States, some websites have been removed from the Web for "hate speech."

So it is no surprise that Zimbabwe is restricting the use of the Internet. (When the previous dictator was "invited" to retire, the people were jubilant. Of course, some wise people knew that they would exchange one dictator for another.)

Hope your nephew is well. I hear that crime there is unbelievable.

Click to expand...

Yes. The guide books warn you not to go outside your hotel at night. My nephew has a security staff as well as a cook & housekeeper. Everyone lives in a gated compound. I'm pretty sure people at State in foreign outposts are being paid.

TheParser said:

To be fair, ALL nations "shut down" the Internet in one form or another.

1. China has monitors who immediately delete phrases such as "judicial independence."

2. Even the United Kingdom will punish you if you post certain comments, e.g., re: immigration.

3. Here in the States, some websites have been removed from the Web for "hate speech."

So it is no surprise that Zimbabwe is restricting the use of the Internet. (When the previous dictator was "invited" to retire, the people were jubilant. Of course, some wise people knew that they would exchange one dictator for another.)

Hope your nephew is well. I hear that crime there is unbelievable.

Click to expand...

No websites in the US have been "removed" from the web. Companies that host websites have the right to not host them, that hardly removes them from the web. Take Inforwars for example, you can still go to their own site.

Praxas said:

No websites in the US have been "removed" from the web. Companies that host websites have the right to not host them, that hardly removes them from the web. .

Click to expand...

Thank you for the note.

I am just a little computer illiterate senior citizen who does not know anything about technical matters.

But I have read that a certain infamous website (whose name I dare not even mention) is no longer available because no one will "host" it (is that the correct verb?).

So for all intents and purposes, it has been removed from the Web.

TheParser said:

Thank you for the note.

I am just a little computer illiterate senior citizen who does not know anything about technical matters.

But I have read that a certain infamous website (whose name I dare not even mention) is no longer available because no one will "host" it (is that the correct verb?).

So for all intents and purposes, it has been removed from the Web.

Click to expand...

Just like Inforwars whatever website you won’t mention could host it themselves. So no it still doesn’t hold true.