TunisiaThe first to start a revolution

Abby Ackerman P. 2

Tunisia

BackstoryFrustration in Tunisian citizens had been mounting for yearsThe straw that broke the camel’s back: The martyrdom of a fruit vendor, following an incident with a policewomanKnown 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 1987Widely unpopular; however protests were not known world wide due to cover-upsProtests finally reached him personally 1/14/11Fled that day to Saudi ArabiaHas been charged in absentia to 30 years in prison

The ProtagonistsTunisian citizens, especially youths, broadcast the revolution as it was happening across a wide range of social mediaAided by the Muslim BrotherhoodAimed to set up an actual democracy, not a dictator in a president’s clothing

How It All Went DownCitizens were frustrated. Some where downright mad. Some threw rocks. Civil uprisings soon followed.Hundreds took part in anti-Ben Ali protestsIslamists flocked to the streets to protest freely; long shut out under Ben Ali’s regime

The Domino EffectNews of the revolution in Tunisia spread quickly throughout North AfricaCountries such as Algeria, Egypt, and Libya soon followed with their own protests and political uprisings

And So He RanZine El Abidine Ben Ali fled his country on January 14th, hours after promising “change”The upheaval caused many of the political officials to resignMilitary briefly stepped in to help facilitate changeTunisia set up a new democracy

So Now What?Tunisia recently held their first democratic election post-revolutionMixed 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 RevolutionBoth successful in their revolutionsBoth had been frustrated with oppressive regimes for a whileTunisia had more widespread public support, despite most of the broadcast across social media being done by a sold core of activistsAmerica did not have facebook back then, and tweets only came from birds

Sourceshttp://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