What it is ain't exactly clear
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Revolution(noun)- 2b. a fundamental change in a political organization; especially the overthrow or renunciation of one government or ruler and the substitution of another government or ruler.
Protest(noun)- 2. The act of objecting or a gesture of disapproval especially: a usually organized public demonstration of disapproval.
There's a man with a gun over there,
Telling me I got to beware
Timeline of Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution:
December 17, 2010- Mohammed Bouazazi douses himself in paint thinner and then sets himself on fire in front of a local municipal office in Sidi Bouzid in protest of police brutality, a lack of human rights, job loss, and overall poverty. This sparked more protests all around the country.
December 20, 2010- A 10 million dollar employment program is offered to Sidi Bouzid in a failed attempt to appease the protesters.
December 22, 2010- Houcine Fahli electrocutes himself in protest of unemployment
December 24, 2010- Hundreds of protesters are gathering in cities all around Tunisia, security forces stage an overnight crack down, two more people have died for the cause.
December 27, 2010- 1,000 Tunisian gather in protest in Tunis, the capital.
December 28th,2010- Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the country's president of 23 years, condemns the protests and states that they are the acts of extremists. In the mean time, many prominent members of society, such as lawyers and government ministers, are siding with the protesters and subsequently losing their jobs and some are also arrested.
December 31,2010- more have joined the protests because of the wrongly imprisoned lawyers, authorities respond with increasing violence
January 2,2011- a cyberactivist group sides with the protesters and temporarily jams the government's internet services and websites.
January 3,2011- a group of 250 students protest in Thala, the police use tear gas to break up the protest. The protesters then respond by setting fire to local government buildings.
January 5, 2011- Mohammed Bouazazi dies from his self-inflicted burns.
January 6,2011- 95% of lawyers in Tunisia go on strike in order to end police brutality against peaceful protesters.
January 7-12, 2011- Journalists, bloggers, and activists are arrested. Protests are broken up using tear gas and water cannons. When these fail, the authorities resort to violence, including the use of snipers on protesters in two major cities. These actions lead the people to move from the mindset of peaceful protesting to revolution.
January 13,2011- the death toll is at 66. The president gives a televised address to the people announcing concessions and his plans to not run for reelection in 2014.
January 14,2011- The president declares a state of emergency because protests have not stopped. He makes promises about legislation to calm down the protesters, but it is too little too late. Gatherings of more than 3 people are now banned and the police have approval to respond with arms if emergency orders are violated. In accordance with state of emergency rules, the prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi, takes temporary control of the government. In the meantime, Ben Ali- the president flees to Saudi Arabia
Jan 15-17,2011- the absence of an official leader leads to massive rioting, looting and chaos. The military is asked to step in to restore order. "Ghannouchi also announces widespread reforms, promising press freedom, the lifting of a ban on human rights groups operating in Tunisia, and the release of political prisoners." And an interim government is appointed, but many of the members of the interim government are leftovers from Ben Ali's regime so the people are not pleased.
January 23,2011- hundreds of people flock to the capital to protest the interim government and to defy the State of Emergency curfews and gathering rules
January 24-27,2011- Continued protests result in violent attacks by riot police, the resignation of the foreign minister, and the removal of Ben Ali supporters from the interim government.
February 27,2011- After a month of continued protests, Ghannouchi also resigned.
Al Jazeera English
"The revolution, as Tunisians call it, also has created a power vacuum, and Tunisia faces enormous challenges in rebuilding its political system. The country’s caretaker government has been confronted with nearly daily protests by a variety of groups, the police force has been badly weakened by mass desertions and the firing of top officials, and provincial government offices remain dysfunctional. The judicial system is hobbled by its links to the ousted regime." NY Times
Tunisia's interim government is still trying to build order and prevent the country from falling into anarchy while preparing for mid-term elections.
I think its time we stop, children, whats that sound?
Everybody look what's going down
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