-
Period: to
Tunisia's Past
video linkBefore Tunisia had its own modern government, it was controlled by France. France invaded and had power from the 1880s until the middle of the 20th Century.Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956. Then a year later, women got the right to vote. -
Tunisia's Uprising
video linkGafsa is a mining region that is in the center of Tunisia. It is where the complaints against president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his government began. This first revolt in Gafsa was very violent because the police were very rough with the protesters. When the Tunisian people heard about this, they got even more angry. The media reports that these protestors were “brutally crushed by police, and news of what happened faced tough censorship.' -
Protests spread
After Garfsa, the news of the violdence in the protests spread throughout Tunisia. This made the citizens angry because they had been treated badly by Ben Ali's government for a long time. They were already frustrated with low wages and too much government control. Most citizens wanted change, and they started going into the streets to demand the end of Ben Ali's rule. -
Opening Day of Ben Ali's Trial
video linkThe media had been silent for too long. When the trial of Ben Ali started, there were many cameras and reporters.
The judges started talking to the media. One lawyer spoke for proof of Ben Ali's wrongs. Then, without too much time, there were too many people inside the courtroom. The positive part is that they were able to move more freely because they were not controlled by military or police. The charges against Ben Ali are 92 in total. -
The Trial of Ben Ali (without Ben Ali present)
Ben Ali, the Tunisian president, ran away to Saudi Arabia with his wife and more family members. HIs trial began on January 14, 2011. The main case against him
is about Ben Ali getting richer and richer from Tunisia while the people suffered from harsh rules and hard times. They had to suffer unemployment and if they had jobs, they had low pay.
Because he is in Saudi Arabia, the trial in Tunisia was held without him. There were five laywers who were there to defend Ben Ali. -
Government Dissolved
The Tunisian government changed. Ben Ali was no longer in charge, and the new Unity Cabinet was put in charge. They were responsible for setting up the new government without Ben Ali. This would be the result of the protests and the result of Ben Ali's trial. There were also comments about how Ben Ali's wife may have told him what to do at the end of his power. -
Fire
The term “immolation” is very common among the articles and videos that describe the events of Tunisia’s rebellion. This suicidal form of protest got a lot of attention in Tunisia, and it spread to the rest of the world. The most critical event was when Abdesslem Trimech set himself of fire. This type of protest is very violent and
camera-worthy; thus, it caused a fire-storm of media attention when it was posted to Youtube. -
Free Election
linkThe Arab Autumn elections are called Arab Spring. In Arab countries, it's now Arab spring because they have more freedom. In Tunisia and Syria, the elections are not controlled by the government. They can choose the person they want to be their leader. This is a giant step forward for Tunisa, where Ben Ali was ruling since 1987. -
President Reacts
After the numerous protests, Ben Ali fired his Minister of Communications because he said that there shouldn't have been any information about the violence in the foreign press. He gave a televised speech, and he told the people of Tunisia that the problems and protests would keep out tourists, which were needed to keep the economy growing. He also said in the speech that he had visited the families of the two men who were killed by the police in the protests. -
Not Peaceful
Even though there is a new president in Tunisa, there is not a calm. Tunisia's current president, Ennhada, is being critcized for being similar to the man he replaced. There were artists who got attacked by Islamic men. The people of Tunisa think that this president is too strict and doesn't protect his people well.
