"PoverTea" Protests

"PoverTea" Protests
Part of Anti-Bishop protests
Nationwide PoverTea protests in Zamastan, 2019
Date	February 15, 2019 - November 23, 2019 (9 months, 1 week and 1 day)
Location	Tofino, Jade Harbor, Providence, Emerald, Titania, Tregueux, several more cities in Zamastan
Caused by	Political corruption Wealth inequality High unemployment Corporate influence on government neoliberalism Lack of reform
Goals	End of corruption, economic reforms, socio-economic equality
Methods	Peaceful protest, sit-in, occupation, picketing, strikes, riots
Resulted in	Congressional Vote of No-Confidence Anya Bishop's removal from office Foley Sakzi elected President of Zamastan Economic reforms passed by Congressional Hall
Parties to the civil conflict
Government of Zamastan Pro-government protesters Zamastanian Army Students Reformists Anti-government protesters
Lead figures
Anya Bishop Samuel Discher Brendan Dennadeer Milahn Denging
Casualties
Death(s)	~7 civilians killed ~3 police officers killed

The 2019 "PoverTea" protests, also known as the PoverTea Movement, were a series of progressive socio-political movements and protests that expressed opposition to social and economic inequality and to the lack of "real democracy" in Zamastan, though it expanded to several other nations in smaller forms, such as in Austrolis, Caspiaa, Quetana, and Elbresia. It aimed primarily to advance social and economic justice and new forms of democracy. The movement had many different scopes, since local groups often had different focuses, but its prime concerns included how large corporations (and the global financial system) held influence in government in a way that disproportionately benefited a minority, undermined democracy and caused instability. Another primary concern was that President Anya Bishop's administration had eased lobbying laws via executive order, an act which made corporate influence in Congressional Hall an even greater risk.

The protests were widely refered to as the PoverTea Movement due to the de-facto leader of the activists, Brendan Dennadeer, and his speech during a march in which he said "corporations sit back and drink their tea while the rest of us sit in poverty." Dennadeer was arrested twice during the course of the 10 month-long protests.

The first "PoverTea" protest to receive widespread attention occured in Tofino, Zian, on February 23rd, 2019. By April 15th, PoverTea protests had taken place or were ongoing in over 600 communities in Zamastan, with the largest movements being in Tofino, Alanis, Emerald, Providence, Titania, Jade Harbor, and Tregueux. On November 2nd, two police officers and three protesters were killed and over 300 people were injured when protesters and authorities clashed in Tofino, marking the first time there had been casualties of any kind during the movement. The deaths of the officers prompted President Bishop to order the Zamastanian Army onto the streets of Tofino, saying in a statement that the army was to "reinforce authorities under threat, but to keep the peace and prevent further casualties or fatalities on either side." The army fired on protesters after several more hours of clashes, killing an additional four protesters.

The events of November 2nd pushed Congressional Hall to condemn Bishop (469-30-1 in Congress, 84-16 in the Senate) for her actions, leading for Speaker of the Chamber Foley Sakzi to declare a Vote of No-Confidence. On November 9th, Bishop was removed from the Presidency in a 68-30-2 vote, marking the first time a President had been removed from office by legislative action in Zamastanian history. After Bishop's removal, the PoverTea protests largely subsided, as now-President Foley Sakzi (elected in an emergency vote on November 16th) introduced an economic reform bill and stimulus package to boost the economy and cut lobbying by corporate entities by 50%.