14 Feb

World: Convoy Protests Go Global









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World
Convoy Protests Go Global
The convoy protests by Canadian truckers to express opposition to national COVID restrictions have encouraged similiar protest actions in other countries. In Wellington, New Zealand’s capital, hundreds of protestors brought cars and trucks to block roadways outside the Parliament building. More than 120 protestors were arrested, and police turned to blasting music and sprinklers to push the protestors out of their encampment over the weekend. In Europe, in defiance of explicit bans, another self-styled Freedom Convoy group pulled into Paris and blocked the Champs-Élysées on Saturday. Some members of the protest group have shifted their attention to joining other European convoy groups in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday where the European Union is headquartered. A few dozen vehicles have arrived at a space designated for protestors by authorities, but other groups are continuing to look for inroads into the city to cause more disruption and draw more attention.
 
This map depicts the convergence by convoy protest groups from across Europe in Brussels, Belgium, planned for today. Click on the map to learn more.

Graphic Source: European Freedom Convoy 2022 on Twitter
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Syria
Rare Protests in Syria
Last week, hundreds of protesters gathered in the city of Sweida, in southern Syria to protest cuts to government subsidies and demand better living conditions. Many of the protesters were Druze, a religious minority based in that area. 90% of the population of Syria lives in poverty. The 600,000 families cut from the program lost access to subsidized food and oil. In the winter, people have especially struggled with heating. Some are reported to be burning branches and even dung to try to stay warm. Protests are uncommon in government-held areas in Syria, but people are continually frustrated with the growing inequalities and corruption that have been felt under President Assad.

This map depicts the location of Sweida, the Southern Syrian city where protests have taken place. Click on the map to learn more.

Graphic Source: Al Jazeera
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Canada
58 Foot Rogue Wave 
Scientists have just confirmed data from an open ocean buoy that reported a 58ft (17.7m) wave off the coast of Vancouver Island in November of 2020. This wave was the height of a four-story building and three times higher than any other waves surrounding it. Rogue waves are usually twice the size of surrounding waves and extremely unpredictable. The open ocean buoy owned by MarinLabs which recorded the wave was designed to track specific movements caused by currents. While taller rogue waves have been recorded in other areas of the world, the proportional height of this wave compared to its surroundings has never been seen before. Scientists say that events like this are only seen every 1,300 years. 

This map depicts Vancouver Island, British Columbia and the town of Ocluelet where the wave was recorded 4.3 mi (6.9km) offshore. Click on the map to learn more.

Further Reading: Science Alert, WION, World National News, The Independent 
Graphic Source: DailyMail

Friday’s Answer

Q: Viewed at first as a risky gimmick, where was the first legal forward pass in American football recorded?

A: Waukesha, WI
In 1906, American football was a rough-and-tumble sport focused on running the ball that saw multiple fatalities year-to-year. The rulebook was changed that year to loosen rules around passing to create ways to gain yardage with less physical contact. While the dominant stalwart programs of the coasts treated the new rule as a risky gimmick, in America’s Midwest, the urge to innovate and draw attention to less-renowned teams pushed Saint Louis University Coach Eddie Coachems to develop the practice, leading to his team first recording a forward pass in a season-opener against Carroll College in his native state of Wisconsin on September 5, 1906. The rules have continued to change to favor the forward pass, so much so that when Tom Brady became the all-time passing yardage leader in October 2021, he had completed 45.7 miles worth of passes, equivalent to the distance between Providence, RI, and Martha’s Vineyard, MA, as visualized here!

Source

Today’s Question


Q: Happy Valentine’s Day! Looking for a box of chocolates? In what regions of the world can cocoa be produced?
 

Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.

 

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