The more publicity the better:

When people take to the streets and the army is called out to stop them, at least two things can happen: Tunis, or Tiananmen. When the world is watching, a peaceful outcome is more likely. A threatened regime, when they think they’re immune to scrutiny, is a very dangerous thing.
- Ethan Zuckerman on the revolution in Egypt

An activist in Egypt tweets:

The criminal has left the palace

An SMS sent to the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper:

We want elections now. We can’t have two leaders in one nation. Its either we have Robert Mugabe or Morgan Tsvangirai.
- Muroro.

I had exactly the same response as Penelope Chester when I read Ethan Zuckerman’s blog about the events in Gabon. I immediately Googled Gabon and found that the top stories were about football, not the political crisis in that country.

What makes the events in Egypt more compelling for media houses and news agencies around the world? Read both Penelope and Ethan to learn more about the situation in Gabon.

Ethan reminds us:

We are challenged to witness people’s struggles, whether or not they take place in countries we already know and fear. We are challenged to ensure that authoritarian regimes don’t crush dissent because they know no one is watching. Increasingly, we have the tools to pay attention to revolutionary change anywhere in the world – now we just have to live up to our responsibilities.

ZANU PF youths have taken their terror further by informing headmasters in Harare that they must leave at least two days a week for lessons about the liberation struggle, Radio VOP can reveal. “We have been asked to teach for three days and the other two days we must teach children about Zanu PF and the liberation war,” a headmaster told Radio VOP in an exclusive interview.

A poll on The Standard newspaper web site caught my eye today. The question is: Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is warming up to Zanu PF? (Oddly put I agree)

Apparently the majority of people think YES.

Hmmm.

But according to The Standard, their poll kicked off with the first vote on 4 January 2002.