"Fifteen years have passed since Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor whose cart was confiscated by the police, set himself on fire to protest against police harassment and the authorities' neglect. His act of desperation triggered nationwide protests by millions facing a crushing reality of increased unemployment, corruption, and a decades-old political system with little room for expression or change."
"Zine El Abidine Ben Ali came to power in 1987 when, as prime minister, he declared President-for-life Habib Bourguiba medically unfit to rule. In office, the former security chief worked to repress any challenges to his rule and installed a rigid system anchored in security services and a loyal governing party. He opened up the economy, leading to economic growth, but the country was mired in deepening corruption, inequality, and media censorship, sparking public outrage and anger."
Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor whose cart was confiscated by police, set himself on fire on December 17, 2010, to protest police harassment and authorities' neglect. His act sparked nationwide protests against unemployment, corruption, censorship, and lack of political freedom. Within 28 days, demonstrators forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled since 1987, to flee the country. Ben Ali had come to power by deposing Habib Bourguiba, built a security-centered regime, and presided over economic growth alongside deepening corruption and inequality. He was later sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment and died in exile in Jeddah in 2019.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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