Human chain (politics)

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Human Chain for Basque Self-determination, 2014 Giza katea, Urbia.JPG
Human Chain for Basque Self-determination, 2014

A human chain is a form of demonstration in which people link arms or hands as a show of political solidarity.

The chains can involve thousands of people, with the world record being claimed in 2020 by Bihar, India, which was estimated to include 51.7 million people across 18,000 kilometres (11,000 mi), to support the government's efforts towards environment conservation and eradication of social evils. [1]

List of notable human chains


DateEventLocationNumber of participantsPurpose
December 1982Embrace the Base RAF Greenham Common Newbury, Berkshire, England 30,000 (women)Protested siting of American nuclear missiles in West Germany.
1 April 198314-mile (23 km) human chain Greenham to Aldermaston and the ordnance factory at Burghfield 70,000 (40,000 – 80,000)Protested siting of American nuclear missiles in West Germany.
May 25, 1986 Hands Across America United States 5,000,000Charitable event to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness.
August 23, 1989 Baltic Way Estonia; Latvia; Lithuania 2,000,000Called for the end of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries, and for the restoration of the independence of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
January 21, 1990 Reunion Day LvivKyiv, Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine)450,000 (according to Soviet militsiya); 3,000,000 (according to organizers) [2] Marking the 71st anniversary of the Act Zluky, an agreement unifying the Ukrainian People's Republic and the West Ukrainian National Republic.
August 1997 XII World Youth Day, 1997 Paris, France 400,000A 36 km ring surrounding Paris facing outwards, symbolically calling for peace.
16 May 1998 Jubilee 2000 Human Chain Birmingham, UK 70,000 – 100,000The first Chain demonstration by Jubilee 2000, a coalition of church and faith groups, overseas development agencies and others at the G8 Summit in Birmingham, UK, to highlight the indebted poverty of many poor countries and the need for the G8, World Bank and IMF to act to remit that debt. The Chain surrounded Birmingham city center including the International Convention Center.
September 8, 1999Protest against violence in East Timor Lisbon 300,000+A 20 km ring connecting the United Nations delegation and the embassies of Russia, China, UK, France and the US in Lisbon, calling for the end of violence in East Timor. [3]
February 28, 2004 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally Taiwan 1,000,000+ ( 2,000,000+ according to organizers)Commemoration of the February 28 Incident and protest of People's Republic of China missiles aimed at Taiwan.
July 25, 2004 Israeli Chain Gush Katif (Jewish communities adjacent to the Gaza Strip, Israel), to the Western Wall, Jerusalem (90 kilometers)130,000 (according to police)Opposing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Disengagement Plan which involves dismantling of Jewish communities and settlements of Gush Katif.
December 11, 2004'No Confidence' campaign to the BNP-led alliance governmentTeknaf to Tentulia, Bangladesh 5,000,000+ andThe participants were supporters of 14 opposition parties led by the Bangladesh Awami League to express their 'No Confidence' campaign to the BNP-led alliance government and to demand fresh polls. [4] It was 1,050 km (652.4 miles) long.
May 1, 2006 Great American Boycott New York City. (Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn Bronx)12,000 (according to CNN ) [5] Protesting H.R. 4437, a bill in Congress to toughen immigration checks.
February 25, 2008Gaza Chain Gaza 20,000 [6] Protesting Israeli blockade of Gaza
September 1, 2008"Stop Russia" campaign [7] Georgia 1,000,000 (according to the Georgian authorities) [8] Protesting Russian military intervention
October 24, 2008 2009 Tamil protests in India [9] Chennai, India 100,000 – 150,000Protesting the violence against Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Civil War.
December 13, 2008"Mumbai citizens form human chain to protest attacks" [10] Mumbai, India 60,000Protesting Against the terror attacks that took place in Mumbai on the 26th of November 2008
January 28, 2009 2009 Tamil protests in Canada [11] Toronto, Canada 20,000Protesting the violence against Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Civil War.
June 9, 2009Green Chain, Iran's Presidential Election
2009 Iranian Election Protests
Tehran, Iran 18,000 – 30,000In support of Mir-Hossein Mousavi [12] [13]
October 2, 2009Kerala CPM,
2009 ASEAN agreement Protest
Kerala, India 200,000Protesting against the ASEAN and New Delhi free trade agreement
February 3, 2010Telangana JAC,
Telangana Human Chain
Andhra Pradesh, India The people of Telangana formed a 500 kilometers-long human chain all along the National Highway number 7 from Adilabad on the northernmost tip of the region to Alampur on the borders of Kurnool district, to press their demand for forming a separate state. [14] [15]
December 10, 2012Human Chain for Human Rights. Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India 20,00025 km long Human chain formed for Human Rights on Human Rights Day on December 10, 2012 by 20,000 tribal students of Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India . [16] [17]
September 11, 2013 Catalan Way Towards IndependenceThroughout Catalonia 1,600,000 [18] 480 km long Human chain organized by the Assemblea Nacional Catalana for the independence of Catalonia. [19]
November 29, 2013 Pro-European Union protests / Against Russian interventionVarious, largest from Ukraine to Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Also LithuaniaLatvia.2,000,000+ [20] [21] Symbolic "linking" of Ukraine to the European Union [20]
June 8, 2014 Human Chain For The Right to Decide of the Basque Country Throughout Basque Country, [22] from Durango to Iruñea-Pamplona 150,000+123 km long Human chain organized by Gure Esku Dago for the Self-determination of the Basque Country. [22]
October 1, 2015Madhesh Human Chain [23] Mechi to Mahakali, Hulaki Rajmarg, Nepal.1,500,000+The 2015 Human Chain for Madhesh Movement was an organised protest in Nepal for pressurizing the government of Nepal to withdraw the discriminatory policies being institutionalized in the constitution that came in effect on 20 September 2015. The Madheshis the residents and indigenous population of Madhesh, the southern plains of Nepal, created world record in creating 1155 km of human chain to draw attention of Nepal government. [24]
December 29, 2016Kerala LDF,
2016 Indian Bank Note Demonetization Protest
Kerala, India 1,000,000+ (according to estimates made by the organizers)Protesting against the demonetization of ₹500 (US$7.40) and ₹1,000 (US$15) banknotes [25]
21 January 2017Support for Total prohibition Bihar, India 20,000,000The participants expressed support to implement and promote complete Prohibition of liquor and intoxicants in the territory of the State of Bihar and in favour of the law to be passed by Nitish Kumar Government by forming human chain of around 12,760 km across the state of Bihar. [26] [27] It was of the length of 11,292 km (7,017 mi).
June 10, 2018 Human chain for Basque self-determination 2018 Basque Autonomous Community, Spain 175,000Advocacy for a right of the Basques to decide their political status.
1 January 2019 Vanitha Mathil (Women's wall) Kerala, India 3,000,000 –5,000,000 (women)The women's wall was formed for a distance of around 620 kilometers from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram to uphold gender equality and protest against gender discrimination. .
August 23, 2019 Hong Kong Way Hong Kong 210,000Advocacy for withdrawal of the extradition bill and for democratic elections. The chain was nearly 50 km (30 mi) and stretched through Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. It was held on the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way Chain of Freedom, a peaceful gathering that called for independence from Soviet Union.
October 27, 2019 2019–20 Lebanese protests [28] [29] Lebanon coastline170,000Symbolize the unity of the Lebanese protesters against austerity, political corruption and sectarianism. It ran from Tripoli to Tyre.
January 26, 2020 Manushya Maha Sringhala [30] [31] [32] Kerala state6,000,000 – 7,500,000A 700 km long human chain was formed on Republic Day, across the state of Kerala in India. The chain was organized by the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Democratic Front. The chain was formed to swear an oath to protect the Constitution of India and to demand the withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act and non-implementation of the National Register of Citizens.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanitha Mathil</span> Chain of women formed on 1 January 2019 at Kerala

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citizenship Amendment Act protests</span> 2019–2020 protests in India

The Citizenship Amendment Act (Bill) protests, also known as the CAA Protest, CAB Protest or CAA and NRC protests, occurred after the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was enacted by the Government of India on 12 December 2019. The move sparked a widespread national and overseas ongoing protests against the act and its associated proposals of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The protests first began in Assam and spread swiftly in other states such as Delhi, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura on 4 December 2019. Protests broke out rapidly across the country, although the concerns of the protesters vary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Kerala human chain</span>

Manushya Maha Sringhala was a human chain formed on 26 January 2020 across the Indian state of Kerala to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens. The chain was formed by approximately 6 to 7 million people and extended for a distance of 700 kilometres stretching north to south from Kasaragod to Kaliyikkavila.

No NRC movement was originated in West Bengal, after NRC Assam Draft List was published in 2018. It predated the anti-CAA protests and created the conditions for protests against the CAA to grow, especially in West Bengal. The NRC Assam Final Draft List, published on 30 July 2018, has excluded four million residents. The initial protests against NRC were organised by the Matua (Namashudra) community in West Bengal. On 1 August 2018, the members of the Matua community protested across the state, in places such as Dumdum, Sodepur, Titagarh, Palta, Halisahar, New Barrackpore, Madhyamgram, Barasat, Thakurnagar and Bhaybla in North 24 Parganas district and Chakdah, Bagula, Badkulla in Nadia district. They blocked the national highway-6 connecting Kolkata and Mumbai at Chandrapur in Howrah district. Sarva Bharatiya Namashudra Vikash Parishad promised to continue protests against NRC. They also blocked Railway traffic in various places in Bengal. Matua Mahasangha contended that NRC Assam would exclude millions of Matuas. The rail blockade by Matuas disrupted rail traffic in Sealdah division.

References

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