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Abby Ackerman P. 2. Tunisia. The first to start a revolution . Tunisia. Backstory. Frustration in Tunisian citizens had been mounting for years The straw that broke the camel’s back: The martyrdom of a fruit vendor, following an incident with a policewoman
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Abby Ackerman P. 2 Tunisia The first to start a revolution
Backstory • Frustration in Tunisian citizens had been mounting for years • The straw that broke the camel’s back: The martyrdom of a fruit vendor, following an incident with a policewoman • Known as the “Jasmine Revolution” of “Facebook Revolution” • The first in a string of civil uprisings to shake North Africa
The Antagonist • “President” Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in power since 1987 • Widely unpopular; however protests were not known world wide due to cover-ups • Protests finally reached him personally 1/14/11 • Fled that day to Saudi Arabia • Has been charged in absentia to 30 years in prison
The Protagonists • Tunisian citizens, especially youths, broadcast the revolution as it was happening across a wide range of social media • Aided by the Muslim Brotherhood • Aimed to set up an actual democracy, not a dictator in a president’s clothing
How It All Went Down • Citizens were frustrated. Some where downright mad. Some threw rocks. Civil uprisings soon followed. • Hundreds took part in anti-Ben Ali protests • Islamists flocked to the streets to protest freely; long shut out under Ben Ali’s regime
The Domino Effect • News of the revolution in Tunisia spread quickly throughout North Africa • Countries such as Algeria, Egypt, and Libya soon followed with their own protests and political uprisings
And So He Ran • Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled his country on January 14th, hours after promising “change” • The upheaval caused many of the political officials to resign • Military briefly stepped in to help facilitate change • Tunisia set up a new democracy
So Now What? • Tunisia recently held their first democratic election post-revolution • Mixed feelings remain about the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the new democracy (Especially in foreign relations) • Tunisia’s successful revolution is still inspiring other Arab countries fighting for theirs “People of Tunisia are voting freely for the first time. This blue finger is the proof that I voted. So happy, so proud.” (From Imgur.com)
Arab Spring vs. American Revolution • Both successful in their revolutions • Both had been frustrated with oppressive regimes for a while • Tunisia had more widespread public support, despite most of the broadcast across social media being done by a sold core of activists • America did not have facebook back then, and tweets only came from birds
Sources • http://imgur.com/gallery/FFdIW • Tony Karon. “Tunisia’s Revolt: A Dilemma for the U.S in the Arab World”. Time. 18 Jan 2011. 25 Oct 2011.http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2042936,00.html • Vivienne Walt. “Tunisia’s Nervous Neighbors Watch the Jasmine Revolution”. Time. 31 Jan 2011. 26 Oct 2011.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2043433-3,00.html • Yasmine Ryan. “How Tunisia’s Revolution Began”. Al Jazeera English. 26 Jan 2011. 25 October 2011. http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/01/2011126121815985483.html