"Exactly 15 years ago, the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi in Tunisia prompted an unprecedented pan-Arab protest movement that demonstrated the overwhelming Arab desire for more democratic forms of government. In extraordinary scenes, millions of protesters across several countries rallied against authoritarian leaders who had been in power for decades, challenging political systems defined by repression, corruption, and exclusion. Protester complaints revolved around centralised power structures that bred corruption and injustice and concentrated wealth in the hands of a relative few."
"Predictably, regimes responded with heavy-handed tactics numerous demonstrators were killed, beaten, or arrested. But the pro-democracy movement achieved significant early successes. Within months, four longstanding dictators Tunisia's Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, and Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh were all toppled. In a handful of countries Bahrain, Algeria, and Iraq among them regimes successfully quelled protests, ending them before they could gain serious momentum."
Fifteen years on, governments have outlawed protest, managed elections, and rewritten constitutions to deter future uprisings. The self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi in Tunisia sparked a pan-Arab protest movement expressing widespread demand for democratic government, dignity, and accountability. Millions rallied against authoritarian leaders, centralised power, corruption, and concentrated wealth. Regimes used heavy-handed tactics, killing, beating, and arresting demonstrators. Early successes toppled dictators in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, while Bahrain, Algeria, and Iraq quelled protests. Some countries achieved limited reforms; Syria, Libya, and Yemen descended into prolonged violent conflict, and many democratic gains proved fragile.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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