The year was also marked by a surge in social and pro-democracy protests globally -- from the anti-austerity demonstrations in Greece, Spain and other European nations, to Occupy Wall Street in the United States, and the mass anti-government rallies in the Arab world and even Russia.
Dünya; Yunanistan, İspanya ve diğer Avrupa ülkelerinde kemer sıkma politikalarına karşı düzenlenen gösterilere, ABD’deki Occupy Wall Street hareketine ve Arap dünyası ve hatta Rusya’yı sarsan hükümet karşıtı kitlesel protestolara tanık oldu.