Time magazine has named “The Protester” as the Person of the Year 2011 – a tribute to people bringing change across the Arab world as well as anti-corporate greed demonstrations in the West. Announcing the choice on NBC’s "Today Show", Time Managing Editor Rick Stengel said that the nameless protestors with a traditional head scarf have risked their lives to bring transformational change around the world. He stated, “They are changing history already and they will change history in the future”. Rick Stengel also emphasized, “Iran prefigured what was going to happen in the Arab world. And then what happened in the Arab world did influence Occupy Wall Street, and Occupy Oakland, and the protests in Greece and Madrid”
The iconic Time’s Person of the Year has been a perennial topic for the past 84 years with aviator Charles Lindbergh was chosen the first Man of the Year back in 1927. The choices vary from presidents, political leaders, innovators and captains of industry, including some of the more notorious Persons of the Year include Adolf Hitler in 1938 and Joseph Stalin in 1943.
Some of this year’s nominees are late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, SEAL Team 6 (who killed Osama bin Laden) and etc. The runners-up for 2011 Person of the Year are Admiral William H. McRaven (who organized the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden in May), Ai Wei Wei (the Chinese conceptual artist and activist designed Beijing National Stadium for the 2009 Olympics), Rep. Paul Ryan, and Duchess Kate.
Talking about why Steve Jobs was not the choice for Person of the Year 2011, Rick Stengel explained, “It’s not a lifetime achievement award and Steve is someone I’d venerate, but it wasn’t really a year where he transformed anything”. He added, “Admiral McRaven captured bin Laden and (Middleton) captured our hearts”
Symbolizing a worldwide wave of dissent that swept from the Arab Spring to Athens, the Occupy Wall Street movement to anti-autocracy demonstrators in the streets of Moscow, the Protestor is named Time Magazine's 2011 "Person of the Year"
Among potential nominees, TIME magazine has chosen a determined-looking face that can be seen “From the Arab Spring to Athens, from Occupy Wall Street to Moscow...”
An Egyptian boy waves his national flag during a rally protest to end military rule. He shares the Person of the Year honour awarded by Time with other million protesters around the world
Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians gather in Tahrir Square in Cairo in the uprising against President Hosni Mubarak’s government to call for "regime change, not cabinet change" on 28 January 2011
Locals pray in the street in front of The l-Istiqama Mosque in Giza, Cairo, Egypt on 28 January 2011
An uprising in Tunisia calls for the overthrow of the country’s 23-year long dictatorship of President Ben Ali and asks for a totally new government without the relics of the previous tyranny
People in Libya protest as they try to escape a ruthless crackdown by Libyan forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi
People take part in the Occupy Wall Street in New York, United States
A pretty girl is arrested during Occupy Wall Street in New York, United States
The terrible picture of UC Davis drenching a line of student protesters in pepper spray on campus of University of California emerges from shocking video footage. The students are believed to be in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement
Protesters take part in a rally in Athens, Greece on Wednesday, 5 May 2011
Several hundreds Russian people stage a protest in Moscow, demanding a bigger say for ethnic Russians in the country's politics and marking the first anniversary of a violent nationalist riot just outside the Kremlin
Time Magazine names protesters 'Person of the Year'
Related links:
Steve Jobs: Time Magazine October 2011 Cover and Funeral Details
Latest Images of Occupy Wall Street Protest
Greece: Violent Protests in Athens To Oppose Government's Austerity Plan
Time Magazine: Why Protester Is Chosen Person of the Year 2011? (Pics and Video)