Tunisian’s Jasmine revolution started in December 2010. At that time, nobody thought that this could be spread across the region and even forced General Ben Ali to leave the country after 23 years of dictatorship. The revolution started in Sidi Bouzid, in the poor interior of Tunisia, when Mohamed Bouazizi, 26 years old, set himself on fire. He is a jobless college graduated, so he started selling fruit and vegetables on the street to support his family. On December 17th 2010, he was arrested and slapped on the face in public by a female officer and his wares were confiscated. In protest against harassment and humiliation, Mohamed Bouazizi set himself alight. His desperate act sparked a large protest movement through the country.
People protested against poverty, dictatorship and corruption. President Ben Ali and his family controlled the most important sectors like tourism, transportation, real estate, etc. In fact, Wikileaks cables revealed that the US ambassador to Tunisia qualified Ben Ali’s family as “quasi-mafia”. However, he outlined that the situation was stable and would remain in control for the next 10 years.
The national media, which is controlled by the government, ignored the movement. The Tunisian protesters got organized using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. They shared videos showing the government’s repression, which encouraged many people to join them. Ben Ali tried several times to convince them to stop protesting. He visited Mohamed Bouazizi in the hospital and promised more investments in Sidi Bouzid. Then, he gave 3 speeches but people had a strong determination to oust him. He ended up by leaving Tunisia on January 14th 2010.
The success of the Tunisian revolution inspired many other populations like the Egyptian people, who have ousted President Mubarak who was in power for 32 years.
