Arab Spring

2010–11 Middle East and North Africa protests
File:Millionmarchtahrirsquare.jpg Tahrir Square in Egypt – "March of the Millions"
Date	18 December 2010–ongoing
Casualties
Death(s)	11,000+

The 2010–11 Middle East and North Africa protests are an unprecedented revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests which have been taking place in the Middle East and North Africa since 18 December 2010. To date, Tunisian, Egyptian and Libyan protests have fomented revolutions of historical consequence, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Oman and Yemen have all seen major protests, and minor incidents have occurred in Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria and Western Sahara. The protests have shared techniques of civil resistance in sustained campaigns involving strikes, demonstrations, marches and rallies, as well as the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter to organise, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of attempts at state repression and Internet censorship.

Overview

The demonstrations and uprisings in the region have been called the Arab Spring by several sources, although a number of the countries affected are not part of the Arab world. The protests began on 18 December 2010 in Tunisia, following Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in protest at police corruption and ill-treatment. Due to similar hardships in the region and ultimately successful protests in Tunisia, a chain of unrest was started which was followed by protests in Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, and Yemen, and to a lesser degree in other, mostly Arab, states. In many cases the climactic days have been termed "day of rage" or some variation thereof. The protests in the region have also affected unrest outside the region. To date, two heads of state have been overthrown—Tunisia's on 14 January and Egypt's on 11 February. Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution led President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee to Saudi Arabia. In Egypt, massive protests began on 25 January, and after 18 days of protests, President Hosni Mubarak, who had ruled Egypt for 30 years, resigned on 11 February 2011. Around the same time, Jordan's King Abdullah named a new prime minister and the president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, announced that he would not seek another term in office in 2013, after what would then be 35 years of rule. During the ongoing uprising against Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced he would not seek re-election in 2015. Despite Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announcing he would not seek re-election in 2014, increasingly violent demonstrations urging him to resign have mounted.

Both the volatility of the protests and their profound geopolitical implications have drawn global attention and excitement. The possibility has been raised of the protesters being nominated for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. Template:2010–2011 MENA protests HTK

Summary of protests by country

Country	Date started	Type(s) of protests	Outcome	Death toll
Tunisia	18 December 2010	Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation; Nationwide protest; occupation of public spaces	• Ousting of President Ben Ali  • Resignation of Prime Minister Ghannouchi  • Release of political prisoners  • Dissolution of the political police and the former ruling party	223+
Algeria	28 December 2010	Self-immolations; major protests; riots; road-blockings	• Lifting of 19-year-old state of emergency	8
Lebanon	12 January 2011	Protests; clashes between riot police and pro-Saad Hariri supporters.		0
Libya	13 January 2011	Nationwide protests; armed revolt; occupation of cities	• Opposition forces seize control of numerous Libyan cities  • Formation of a Benghazi-based National Transitional Council  • United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973	10,000+
Jordan	14 January 2011	Minor protests and demonstrations	• King Abdullah II dismisses Prime Minister Rifai and his Cabinet.	0
Mauritania	17 January 2011	Self-immolation, protests		1
Sudan	17 January 2011	Minor protests	• President Bashir will not seek another term in 2015	1
Oman	17 January 2011	Major protests	• Economic concessions by Sultan Qaboos  • Dismissal of ministers	1–8
Yemen	18 January 2011	Major protests; riots	• President Saleh will not seek another term in 2013  • Resignation of MPs from the ruling party.  • President Saleh pledged to rewrite the constitution, to give parliament more powers, and to devolve power to the regions	86 . .
Saudi Arabia	21 January 2011	Self-immolation; minor demonstrations	• Economic concessions by King Abdullah	2
Egypt	25 January 2011	Self-immolations; nationwide protests; occupation of public spaces; attacks to official buildings	• Ousting of President Mubarak  • Assumption of power by the Armed Forces  • Suspension of the Constitution, dissolution of the Parliament  • Resignation of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik  • Disbanding of state security force	684
Syria	26 January 2011	Self-immolation, minor protests	• Statement by President Assad about "reform"  • President issued a legislative grant amnesty for political crimes that were quickly withdrawn.  • Instead one of al-Assad's most outspoken critics were released under an amnesty.	1
Djibouti	28 January 2011	Major protests; occupation of main public spaces	• Last protest planned for March 4 prevented, no planned protests since.	2
Morocco	30 January 2011	Self-immolation; minor protests; attacks to properties	• Political concessions by King Mohammed VI  • referendum on constitutional reforms	6
Iraq	10 February 2011	Self-immolation; major protests; riots; attacks to official buildings	• Prime Minister Maliki will not run for a 3rd term  • Resignation of provincial governors and local authorities	35
Bahrain	14 February 2011	Major demonstrations; occupation public spaces	• Economic concessions by King Hamad  • Release of political prisoners  • Dismissal of ministers  • GCC Intervention at the request of the Government of Bahrain.	20
Iran	14 February 2011	Major protests		3
Kuwait	18 February 2011	Protests; clashes between riot police and "bidoons (bedouns)"		0
Western Sahara	20 February 2011	Minor protests		1
Total death toll:	11,000+

Background

Motivations

Numerous factors have led to the protests, including dictatorship, human rights violations, Wikileaks cables which demonstrated government corruption, economic downfall, unemployment, and extreme poverty, along with a large percentage of youth within the population. In all northern African and Gulf countries, the concentration of benefices in autocrats' hands, their several decades holding power, too low and too blur share of oil benefits, corruption, and the refusal of youth to silently accept this previous status quo have been mentioned as the main motives for the current movements. Increasing food prices and rates of famine globally have also been a major reason, involving threats to food security worldwide and prices approaching levels seen during the 2007–2008 world food price crisis. In recent decades rising living standards and literacy rates and an expansion in higher education have resulted in an improved human development index in the affected countries. The tension between rising aspirations and a lack of government reform may have been a contributing factor to the protests,. The place of youth and generation gaps have been underlined. For this educated and internet connected wave of youth, many having studied in western countries, autocrates and absolute monarchy are anachronisms. Najma Al-Zidjaly talked about youthquake.

Tunisia and Egypt, the first to witness major uprising, differ from other gulf countries, Algeria, Libya by the lack of oil. This gift of oil allowed oil producing governments to save time by sudden scholarships and subsides. However, it is unlikely to stop the ongoing ideological switch.

Recent history

The current wave of protests are not isolated in history, rather they are part of a larger chain of dissident activists and citizens from numerous social and union organizations and individuals that have been active for years in Tunisia, Western Sahara, Algeria, and Egypt, along with other countries.

In Tunisia, there was a rise of conflict where the country experienced a series of outbreaks over the past three years. The most notable of which was an uprising in the mining area of Gafsa in 2008. These protests continued for many months through rallies, sit-ins and strikes, during which two were struck dead, an unspecified number were wounded, and dozens were arrested.

In Western Sahara, the Gdeim Izik protest camp was erected on 9 October 2010, 12 km south-east of El Aaiún, by a group of young Sahrawis with the intention to protest against labor discrimination, lack of jobs, looting of resources, and human rights abuses". Its population was estimated between 12,000 and 20,000 inhabitants. On 8 November 2010, the protest camp was evicted and destroyed by Moroccan security forces, who faced strong opposition from some young Sahrawi civilians. Riots spread to El Aaiún and other towns of the territory, causing an unknown number of deaths and injuries.

In Algeria, many issues have been building for years. In February 2008, United States Ambassador Robert Ford wrote in a leaked diplomatic cable that Algeria is "unhappy", with long-standing political alienation and social discontent throughout the country with strikes over food almost weekly, and a demonstration occurring every day somewhere in the country, and calling the Algerian government corrupt and fragile. It has been claimed that during 2010, there were as many as "9,700 riots and unrests" throughout the country. Some protests were about issues such as education and health care, as well as rampant corruption.

In Egypt, the labor movement has been strong for years. There have been more than 3,000 labor actions since 2004. The most important of which was an attempted workers strike on 6 April 2008, at the state-run textile factories of al-Mahalla al-Kabra just outside Cairo. The idea spread elsewhere in the country, promoted by computer-literate working class youths and their supporters among middle-class college students. A Facebook page was set up to promote the strike and attracted tens of thousands of followers. The government mobilized to break the strike through infiltrating and riot police. Although the regime had some success in forestalling a successful strike, an "April 6 Committee" of youths and labor activists was formed and were among the major forces calling for the big demonstration on 25 January in Tahrir Square.

The major turning point to cause the current escalation of protests was the self-immolations of individuals, starting with Mohamed Bouazizi, which catalyzed a pull of attraction for various groups dissatisfied with the existing system: the unemployed, political and human rights activists, labor, trade unionists, students, professors, lawyers, and more. This and other self-immolations have caused dispersed groups to unite under a common unprecedented movement that gained enough momentum to create the current scope of events.

Self-immolation

Since Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, sparked an uprising that led to the ousting of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, a number of self-immolation protests have taken place in other Arab countries. Among the more significant was the self-immolation in Algeria of Mohsen Bouterfif, who set himself on fire on 13 January 2011 after a meeting with a town mayor failed in helping him find employment and housing. He later died of his injuries. In Egypt, Abdou Abdel-Moneim Jaafar, a 49-year-old restaurant owner, set himself alight in front of the Egyptian Parliament.

All self-immolation incidents0
#	Name	Residence	Date of self-immolation	Date of death	Ref(s)
1	Mohamed Bouazizi	Sidi Bouzid	17 December 2010	4 January 2011
2	Ayoub Hamdi	Aryanah	5 January 2011	—
3	Mohsen Bouterfif	Boukhadra	13 January 2011	24 January 2011
4	Aouichia Mohammad	Bordj Menaïel	15 January 2011	—
5	Boubacar Boyden	Jijel	15 January 2011	—
6	Mamier Lotfi	El Oued	16 January 2011	11 February 2011
7	Senouci Touat	Mostaganem	16 January 2011	—
8	Yacoub Ould Dahoud	Tidjikja	17 January 2011	22 January 2011
9	Abdou Abdel-Moneim Jaafar	El-Qanater	17 January 2011	—
10	17-years old French student	Marseille	17 January 2011	—
11	Karim Bendine	Dellys	18 January 2011	22 January 2011
12	Mohammed Farouk Hassan	Cairo	18 January 2011	—
13	Syed Ali	Cairo	18 January 2011	—
15	Ahmed Hashim al-Sayyed	Alexandria	18 January 2011	18 January 2011
15	Mohammed Ashour Sorour	Cairo	18 January 2011	—
16	unknown 65-year-old male	Samtah	21 January 2011	21 January 2011
17	unknown male	Casablanca	18 January 2011	—
18	Mohamed Lamine Ould Salek Ould Said Mahmoudi	Smara (Western Sahara)	21 January 2011	—
19	unknown male	Beni Mellal	22 January 2011	—
19	Al-Amin Musa Al-Amin	Khartoum	22 January 2011	—
20	unknown male	Safi	25 January 2011	—
21	Hasan Ali Akleh	Al-Hasakah	26 January 2011	26 January 2011
22	Abdelhafid Boudechicha	Medjana	28 January 2011	29 January 2011
23	unknown male	Tangier	30 January 2011	—
24	unknown male	unknown	unknown	—
25	Abdulmunir Abdullah	Mosul	13 February 2011	13 February 2011
26	Abdullah Mohammad Qasim	Ad Dali'	19 February 2011	24 February 2011
27	Fadoua Laroui (female)	Souk Sebt	23 February 2011	23 February 2011
28	Hussein Swayah	Tan-Tan	24 February 2011	—
29	Isa Abdul Majid Mansour	Kufra	17 February 2011	—
30	unknown female	Jizan Province	23 February 2011	—
31–32	Elderly male with his son	Algiers	28 February 2011	—
33	unknown male	Chlef Province	28 February 2011	—
34–36	34 years old male and two of his children (5 and 7 years old)	Sétif Province	28 February 2011	—
"—" denotes that the individual survived.

Countries

Algeria

Main article: 2010–2011 Algerian protests

On 29 December, clashes with police occurred in Algiers, Algeria, over protests about the lack of housing. At least 53 people were reported to have been injured and another 29 were arrested. In total, three demonstrators were killed, more than 800 people were wounded, and at least 1,100 were arrested.

7 January protests in Algeria.

From 12–19 January, a wave of self-immolation attempts swept the country, beginning with Mohamed Aouichia, who set himself on fire in Bordj Menaiel in protest at his family's housing. On 13 January, Mohsen Bouterfif set himself on fire after a meeting with the mayor of Boukhadra in Tebessa who was unable to offer Bouterfif a job and a house. Bouterfif was reported to have died a few days later; about 100 youths protested his death, causing the provincial governor to dismiss the mayor. At least ten other self-immolation attempts were reported that week. On 22 January the RCD party organised a demonstration for democracy in Algiers attended by about 300 people, illegal under the State of Emergency in force since 1992; it was suppressed by the police, with 42 injuries. On 29 January, at least ten thousand people marched in the northeastern city of Béjaïa.

On 3 February, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced that the 19-year state of emergency would be lifted in the very near future in an apparent bid to stave off unrest, a promise fulfilled on 22 February, when Algeria's cabinet adopted an order to lift the state of emergency.

On 5 February, a major "illegal" march was scheduled for the 12th of the month. On 11 February, nearly 2000 pro-democracy protesters clashed with police forces at the central May 1 square. The government had imposed a ban on all opposition rallies but protesters seemed determined to come out on the streets. Reports claim that the police have blocked all entry points into the capital and are arresting activists. Some feel that Algeria could be the next country after Egypt to see change, but analysts believe the government will silence the protests with its oil and gas wealth.

Armenia

On 18 February, Yerevan saw the largest opposition protests in three years, organised by the Armenian National Congress led by the former President Levon Ter-Petrosian. The protesters criticised the government’s socio-economic policy, and called for early general elections; they referred to the recent ‘revolutions’ in the Arab countries. Between five and ten thousand people participated in the protests in the centre of Yerevan. The Armenian National Congress organized a rally in Yerevan on March 1, Armenia Today reported. According to estimates of the opposition, the rally was attended by over 50,000 citizens. The Armenian National Congress will hold its next rally on March 17.

On 17 March, protesters continued to demand the resignations of the government, many members of which were elected in the disputed 2008 election, in the evening at Liberty Square citing a will to replicate the Arab world protests. More than 10,000 Armenians attended the rally, according to the Associated Press.

Azerbaijan

After youth activists on Facebook called for mass protests on 11 March to mark the one-month anniversary of both Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation and the detention of a youth activist on what they say are trumped-up charges, the government reportedly dispatched military forces to Baku to bolster security in the former Soviet republic's capital. Members of the opposition in the National Assembly indicated support for the demonstrators, demanded the release of political prisoners, and called on the cabinet, led by former Communist Party member Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, to resign over its failure to institute reforms. The government claimed the demonstrations were organized by the parliamentary opposition under the guise of grassroots activism, but activists denied this, citing criticism from politically like-minded allies in the National Assembly over the date of the planned protests as an example of where they differ from the opposition parties.

On 11 March, police foiled several attempted protests, arresting 43. Authorities continue to hold 20 of the activists, charging them with holding an "unauthorised" demonstration. The Human Rights House and the European Union, among others, criticised Aliyev's government and called on Azerbaijani authorities to allow people to demonstrate peacefully.

Bahrain

Main article: 2011 Bahraini protests

The 2011 Bahraini protests are a series of demonstrations in the Gulf country of Bahrain. The Bahraini protests were initially aimed at achieving greater political freedom and respect for human rights, without threatening the monarchy. The protests began in Bahrain on 14 February and were largely peaceful until a night raid on 17 February by police against protestors sleeping at Pearl Roundabout in Manama, in which police killed three protestors. Following the deadly 17 February night raid, the protestors' aims expanded to a call to end the monarchy. As of 18 February 2011, six people have been killed and hundreds injured. The death toll continues to rise as Bahraini police and military attempt to disperse protesting crowds using tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition. Bahraini army tanks moved in to quash street protests and blocked the Pearl roundabout specifically (which protesters had planned to convert into Bahrain's Tahrir Square) apart from entries and exits into Manama. The hospital where the dead protesters and mourners have gathered is still very much untouched. After the violent crackdown, protesters started calling for overthrow of the Bahraini King and not just the Prime Minister. On 18 February, government forces opened fire on protesters, mourners and news journalists. On 19 February, protesters occupied Pearl Square after Bahrain's government orders troops and then police to withdraw. On 22 February, an estimated one hundred thousand people, one fifth of the population of the country, marched. On 14 March, at the request of the Crown Prince, GCC troops led by Saudi Arabia entered the country.

Djibouti

Main article: 2011 Djiboutian protests

Protests started on 3 February when three hundred people protested peacefully against President Ismail Omar Guelleh in Djibouti City asking him not to run for another term and also for more liberty and for political and social reform. Protests quickly increased with thousands ralling against the president, staying until their demands were met. The demonstrations escalated into clashes with many being arrested and/or killed/wounded. On 19 and 24 February, protest leaders were arrested and after the failure of the leaders to turn up on the 24th, opposition leader Bourhan Mohammed Ali stated he feared the protests had lost momentum.

Egypt

Main article: 2011 Egyptian revolution

See also: Supreme Council of the Armed Forces § Actions

Celebrations in Tahrir Square after Omar Suleiman's statement concerning Hosni Mubarak's resignation

Following the uprising in Tunisia, potential presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei warned of a "Tunisia-style explosion" in the country.

Protests in Egypt began on 25 January and ran for eighteen days. Starting at around midnight on 28 January, the Egyptian government almost entirely cut off the country from internet access. Later that day, as tens of thousands protested on the streets of Egypt's major cities, President Mubarak formally fired his government and appointed a new one. Mubarak also appointed the first Vice President in almost 30 years. On 2 February, pro-Mubarak activists led a counter-protest that turned violent. It is unknown who started fighting. Many international journalists complained of harassment and one local journalist was killed in the protests.

On 11 February, Mubarak ceded all Presidential power to Vice President Omar Suleiman, but announced that he would remain as President, wanting to finish his term. However, protests continued the next day before which Suleiman announced that Mubarak had resigned from the presidency and transferred all power to the Armed Forces of Egypt. Immediately after, the now-ruling military dissolved the Egyptian Parliament, suspended the Constitution of Egypt, and promised to lift the thirty-year "emergency laws" of the country and to force free, open elections within the next six months, or by the end of the year.

States and ordinary citizens in places across the world either expressed solidarity with the protests or were cautious. A few states in the region were supportive of Mubarak holding on to power.

On 21 February, David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, became the first world leader to visit Egypt since Mubarak was ousted as the president 10 days previously. A news blackout was lifted as the prime minister landed in Cairo for a brief five-hour stopover hastily added at the start of a planned tour of the Middle East.

Iran

Main article: 2011 Iranian protests

The 32nd anniversary of the Iranian Revolution was said to have had a low turnout on 11 February 2011. (The state-run Kayhan newspaper claimed a 50 million turnout, despite Iran having a population of only 75 million.) At the behest of Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, opposition leaders called for nationwide protest marches for 14 February. Rumours suggested that the protesters would include university students, lorry drivers and gold merchants from across the country under the umbrella opposition known as the Green movement in what was seen as an inspiration of events from Egypt and Tunisia. The Revolutionary Guard said it would forcefully confront protesters. Opposition activists and aides to Mousavi and Karroubi had been arrested in the days before the protests.

The opposition protesters used a similar tactic from the 2009 protests in which they chanted "Allahu Akbar" and "Death to the dictator" into the early morning hours. However, rather than using slogans praising Mousavi like in 2009, protestors have been widely chanting "Mubarak, Ben Ali, Now its time for Seyed Ali [Khamenei]". Reports from the demonstrations of 14 February describe clashes between protesters and security forces in Tehran, where 10,000 security forces had been deployed to prevent protesters from gathering at Azadi Square, where the marches, originating from Enghelab, Azadi and Vali-Asr streets, were expected to converge. Police reportedly fired tear gas and used pepper spray and batons to disperse protesters. Clashes were also reported in Isfahan. It was reported up to a third of a million protesters marched in Tehran alone on 14 February.

Iraq

Main article: 2011 Iraqi protests

In an effort to prevent potential unrest, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced that he will not run for a third term in 2014. Nevertheless, hundreds of protesters gathered in several major Iraqi urban areas on 12 February (notably Baghdad and Karbala) demanding a more effective approach to the issue of national security and investigation into federal corruption cases, as well as government action towards making public services fair and accessible. In response, the government of Iraq subsidised electricity costs. Israel's Haaretz reported that a 31-year-old man in Mosul died after he self-immolated in protest against unemployment. Haaretz also reported a planned "Revolution of Iraqi Rage" to be held on 25 February near the Green Zone.

On 16 February, up to 2,000 protesters took over a provincial council building in the city of Kut. The protesters demanded the provincial governor resign due to a lack of basic services such as electricity and water. Up to three people were reported killed and 30 injured. On 24 February, Hawijah, Mosul and Baghdad featured violent protests.

Jordan

Main article: 2011 Jordanian protests

On 14 January, protests took place in Jordan's capital Amman, and at Ma'an, Al Karak, Salt and Irbid, and other cities. The protests, led by trade unionists and leftist parties, came after Friday prayers, and called for the government led by Prime Minister Samir Rifai to step down. They chanted anti-government slogans and called Rifai a "coward". One banner in the protest read "Jordan is not only for the rich. Bread is a red line. Beware of our starvation and fury," while protesters chanted "Down with Rifai's government. Unify yourselves because the government wants to eat your flesh. Raise fuel prices to fill your pocket with millions." Tawfiq al-Batoush, a former head of the Karak municipality, said: "We are protesting the policies of the government, high prices and repeated taxation that made the Jordanian people revolt." The Muslim Brotherhood and 14 trade unions said they would hold a sit-down protest outside parliament the next day to "denounce government economic policies". Parallels were drawn with the Tunisian protests.

The Jordanian government reversed a fuel price rise following the protest. Al Jazeera stated that protests are expected to continue for several weeks because of increasing food prices.

On 21 January, 5,000 people in Amman took part in the largest protest so far.

On 1 February, the Royal Palace announced that King Abdullah dismissed the government as a consequence of the street protests and asked Marouf al-Bakhit, a former army general, to form a new Cabinet. King Abdullah told Bakhit his authority will be to "take quick, concrete and practical steps to launch a genuine political reform process". The reforms should put Jordan on the path "to strengthen democracy", and provide Jordanians with the "dignified life they deserve", the monarch said.

On 25 February, 10,000 protestors took to the streets of Amman to demand the right of voting the prime minister and the dissolving of the parliament.

Kuwait

In a move seen by some as attempt to head off economic issues as a cause for unrest, Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah gave all "its citizens [1.12 million people] free food rations and a grant of $4,000 [1,000 dinars]". Officially the grant is in commemoration of "the 20th anniversary of Kuwait's liberation from occupying Iraqi forces and which also marks the 50th anniversary of the state's independence." The cost of the food is estimated at 230 million dinars ($818 million) and will be available from 1 February 2011 to 31 March 2012. Dozens of stateless Arabs demonstrated in Kuwait on 19 February. and opposition groups called for protests on 8 March.

Libya

Main article: 2011 Libyan uprising

Egyptian youth at a Benghazi rally supporting the Libyan protests in February 2011

Anti-government protests in Libya started on 15 February 2011. By 18 February, most of Benghazi, the country's second-largest city, was controlled by the opposition. At this stage, elite troops and mercenaries were sent by the government to retake the town, but they were repelled. At the time, it was estimated that at least 6,000 had been killed since the violence began. Protests had spread to the capital Tripoli by 20 February, which led to a television address by Seif al-Islam, who warned the protestors that their country may descend into civil war. The rising death toll, which currently numbers in the thousands, has drawn international condemnation, with several Libyan diplomats resigning and calling for the regime to be dismantled.

An interim government in opposition to Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi's continued rule was established in Benghazi on 26 February 2011 amidst ongoing efforts by demonstrators and rebel forces to wrest control of Tripoli from the jamahiriya. Civil War broke out[citation needed] during March, and government forces were ascendent, taking back much of the Mediterranian coast.

Lebanon

Main article: 2011 Lebanese protests

Hundreds of Lebanese rallied in the capital Beirut on 27 February against the country's political system known as Confessionalism in a march called "The Laique pride" calling for reform. A peaceful sit-in in Saida also took place. An large protest took place on 13 March, where hundreds of thousand of supporters of the March 14 coalition called for the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Mauritania

On 17 January in Mauritania, Yacoub Ould Dahoud, a protester, burned himself near the Presidential Palace in opposition to the policies of Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

On 25 February, hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital Nouakchott. According to Reuters, a number of protesters "said they had heard about the march through Facebook and other social networking sites".

Morocco

Main article: 2011 Moroccan protests

At least four Moroccans set themselves on fire on 30 January 2011 at a protest gathering in Tangier.

According to a media report, Moroccan authorities approved the anti-government protest being planned on the popular social networking site Facebook. The same report said that the plan to organize an Egypt-style anti-government protest on 20 February by several Moroccan youth movements had apparently been welcomed by the government .

On 20 February, at least 37,000 of Moroccans rallied in the capital, Rabat, to demand that King Mohammed give up some of his powers. For about a week things had quieted down however about 1000 people demanding political reforms demonstrated in Casablanca on 26 February, according to AFP.

On 9 March, in a live televised address, King Mohammed VI announced his decision to undertake a comprehensive constitutional reform aimed at improving democracy and the rule of law. A commission to work on the constitutional revisions will be formed, with proposals to be made to him by June after which a referendum would be held on the draft constitution.

Oman

Main article: 2011 Omani protests

Protesters set ablaze Lulu Hypermarket in Sohar, Oman on 28 February 2011

In the Gulf country of Oman, 200 protesters marched on 17 January 2011, demanding salary increases and lower costs of living. The protest shocked news reporters who have viewed Oman as a "politically stable and sleepy country".

Renewed protests occurred on 18 February, inspired by the unrest in Bahrain. 350 protesters demanded an end to corruption and better distribution of oil revenue. The protesters also carried signs with slogans of support for the Sultan.

On 26 February, protesters occurred in Sohar calling for more jobs. In the following day, tension escalated with protesters burned shops and cars and officers responding with using tear gas to contain and disperse the protesters. Demonstrations have also spread to the region of Salalah, where protesters have been reported to being camped outside the provincial governor's house since 25 February.

There were witness claims of two protesters being killed in Sohar as police fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds. Also, witness report that protesters have burnt a police station in Sohar as well as the Wali's house (Where the representative of the Sultan to Sohar stays).

The Omani protesters insist they are not challenging the rule of Sultan Qaboos, who has been in power since 1970, but are merely calling for jobs and reform. The protesters even apologized to the Sultan for letting violence rattle the city of Sohar on 28 February 2011.

The Sultan carried on with his reform campaign: dissolving the Ministry of National Economy completely, setting up a State audit committee, granting student and unemployment benefits and almost completely dismissing scores of ministers and reshuffling his cabinet three times. Apart from this nearly 50,000 jobs are to be created in the public sector (including 10000 jobs in the Royal Oman Police). On the directives of the Omani Ministry of Manpower, various companies(both private and public) in Oman came out with their own heavy employment plans. The Royal Army of Oman has also initiated employment drives by publishing recruitment advertisements in newspapers, etc.

Saudi Arabia

Main article: 2011 Saudi Arabian protests

On 29 January, hundreds of people protested over poor infrastructure in Jeddah following flooding and an online campaign for major political and economic changes started. Forty women demonstrated on 5 February for the release of prisoners held without trial. One of the main online organisers of a planned 11 March "Day of Rage", Faisal Ahmed Abdul-Ahad (or Abdul-Ahadwas), was alleged to have been killed by Saudi security forces on 2 March, by which time one of the Facebook groups discussing the plans had over 26,000 members. Protests of a few hundred people took place several times in late February in Qatif and al-Awamiyah and on 4 March in Riyadh and Hofuf. Several thousand security forces were sent to the north-east on 5 March.

Protests took place in Qatif on 9, 10 and 11 March and extended to Hofuf and al-Awamiyah on 11 March. Three protestors were injured by police gunfire in Qatif in the 10 March protests. An "overwhelming" police presence in Riyadh and a "significant" police presence in Jeddah on 11 March prevented protests in those two cities. Protests took place outside the Ministry of the Interior in Riyadh on 12 March, and in and around Qatif on 16 and 17 March, calling for the release of prisoners. The 16–17 March demonstrations also called for the Peninsula Shield Force to be withdrawn from Bahrain, where it was sent to repress the 2011 Bahraini protests.

Somalia

On 13 February, hundreds of youth marched in the long road between the KM4 and Banaadir junctions, in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, demonstrating against both the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), led by President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, and the Islamist insurgent group Harakat al-Shabaab Mujahedeen (HSM), led by Sheikh Ibrahim "al-Afghani", which controls much of the country. Protestors said they would continue until they overcame their leaders like in Egypt and Tunisia. At least 7 of the demonstration organisers were seized and taken into custody by the TFG. Two days later on 15 February, forces loyal to the Transitional Federal Government fired at a protest, killing 4 and injuring 11 protestors. This was condemned by Hawiye clan elders in Mogadishu. TFG President Sharif Ahmed called on the "international community to help and support the TFG's governmental institutions to get the ability of handling the current unrest."

By 17 February, the TFG announced they had arrested 5 people, including 4 police officers, which they said, were responsible for the shooting. Meanwhile, Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed held a press conference were he said that he was "very sorry for the civilian casualties" and he sent his condolences to their families.

Sudan

Main article: 2011 Sudanese protests

Sudan has had protests on 30 January and 1 February, when hundreds have called for President Omar al-Bashir to step down.

Syria

Main article: 2011 Syrian protests

File:Syrian day of anger protest.jpg

A Syrian demonstrator holding the poster "Escape, we do not love you" on 5 February 2011Template:Pufc

Protests in Syria started on 26 January and were influenced by other protests in the region; on the same day, one case of self-immolation was reported. Protesters have been calling for political reforms and the reinstatement of civil rights, as well as an end to the state of emergency which has been in place since 1963. One attempt at a "day of rage" was set for 4–5 February, though it ended up uneventful.

On March 15, demonstrations took place in major cities across Syria. Thousands of protestors gathered in Damascus, Aleppo, al-Hasakah, Daraa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hama. Recently released politician Suhair Atassi became an unofficial spokesperson for the "Syrian revolution" Atassi paid tribute to "the Syrian people who took the initiative ahead of the opposition," recalling the popular uprisings that shook Tunisia and EgyptAfter the first day of the protests there were reports about approximately 3000 arrests and a few " martyrs", but there are no official figures on the number of deaths.

On March 16, Syrian authorities forcibly dispersed a demonstration in front of the Syrian Interior Ministry. al-Arabiya reported that protesters were a mix of activists and jurists, writers, journalists, young academics and family members to people detained in Syrian prisons. The security forces arrested a number of protestors, Al Jazeera reported 25, while Al Arabiya said 32 including activist and lawyer Suhair Atassi and Kamal Cheikho, an activist who was released two days earlier. Mohamed al-Ali, a spokesman for the Syrian Interior authority denied that it has happened any demonstrations in Syria and that the Facebook-campaign has been proved unsuccessful. According to the spokesperson, the "claimed protests" consisted of a bunch of few people who were "hiding" among the already packed souq and tried to make it look like a demonstration. In another statement, he went further by saying that the demonstration which was outside the Interior authority was actually in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

Tunisia

Main article: Tunisian Revolution

Demonstrators in downtown Tunis on 14 January 2011

The 2010–2011 Tunisian revolution is a continuing series of street demonstrations taking place throughout Tunisia from December 2010 onwards. Any form of protests in the country were previously successfully oppressed and kept silent by the former regime and protesters would be jailed for such actions, as where for example protests by hundreds of unemployed demonstrators in Redeyef in 2008. The demonstrations and riots were reported to have started over unemployment, food inflation, corruption, freedom of speech and poor living conditions. The protests were exacerbated by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi that eventually led to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who stepped down from the presidency and fled Tunisia on 14 January 2011 after 23 years in power. In February, protests continued, people were killed and the provisional government resigned.

United Arab Emirates

On 9 March, a group of intellectuals petitioned their ruler for comprehensive reform of the Federal National Council or parliament, including demands for free elections by all citizens in the method of universal suffrage. About 160 people signed the petition, many of them academics and former members of the FNC.

Yemen

Main article: 2011 Yemeni protests

Protests occurred in many towns in both the north and south of Yemen starting in mid-January. Protesters initially protested against governmental proposals to modify the constitution of Yemen, unemployment and economic conditions and corruption. Their demands increased to calls for President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been facing internal opposition from his closest advisors since 2009, to resign. A major demonstration of over 16,000 protestors took place in Sana'a on 27 January and human rights activist and politician Tawakel Karman called for a "Day of Rage" on 3 February. Xinhua News said that a million protesters were called for. In response to the planned protest, Ali Abdullah Saleh stated that he will not seek another presidential term in 2013. On 3 February, 20,000 people protested against the government in Sana'a, others protested in Aden, in a "Day of Rage" called for by Tawakel Karman, while soldiers, armed members of the General People's Congress and many protestors held a pro-government rally in Sana'a. Concurrent with the resignation of Egyptian president Mubarak, Yemenis again took to the streets protesting President Saleh on 11 February in what has been dubbed a "Friday of Rage". The protests continued the days following despite clashes with government advocates.

On 19 February, Yemeni riot police shot and killed one protester and injured at least five as thousands of protesters gathered in the capital Sana'a for a ninth day of protests.

On 8 March, Army troops join protesters in Yemen. About one million people have staged a protest in southern Yemen, as forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh have killed a boy and injured several others.

Non-UN members

Some countries in the region have taken preventative measures in the wake of the wave of protests. Although some countries may not have experienced protests or violence, they have felt the influence of unrest throughout the region. .

Palestinian territories

Haaretz suggested that an announcement by the Palestinian Authority on 1 February to hold municipal elections in July is in reaction to the anti-government protests in Egypt. PA municipal, legislative and presidential elections were last held in 2004–2005, 2006, and 2005, respectively, leaving the president and members of parliament in office after their elected terms had ended. Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad admitted that the protests had changed his mind about elections, which he had previously seen as divisive, and views the short-term unrest as a trend toward long-term 'positive change' in the Arab world's politics. An aide to President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinians will hold an election by September, however the move was immediately condemned by Hamas who said they would boycott the election.

On 14 February, the Palestinian Authority's Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and his Cabinet submitted its resignations to President Abbas amid pan-Arab calls for reform. Abbas tasked him with forming a new government after consultations with other factions, institutions and civil society groups. The reshuffle was long demanded by Fayyad and some in Abbas's Fatah faction.

Western Sahara

Main article: 2010–2011 Sahrawi protests

The Gdeim Izik protest camp was erected on 9 October 2010 by a group of young Sahrawis intending to protest against labour discrimination, lack of jobs, looting of resources and human rights abuses. Its population grew from a few hundreds to several thousands in weeks. On 24 October, a 4WD vehicle was machine-gunned by Moroccan troops, causing one death and several injuries. On 8 November, the protesters were evicted and the camp destroyed by Moroccan security forces, who faced strong opposition from some young Sahrawi civilians. Riots spread to El Aaiun and other towns of the territory, causing an unknown number of deaths and injuries, as well as many material losses. In February 2011, Noam Chomsky viewed these events as the starting point from which "the current wave of protests actually began".

Demonstrations gathering tens of people on 2 February 2011, and about 40 people on 20 February 2011, took place in El Aaiún. On 26 February, riots followed by a demonstration were reported in Dakhla. The riots caused one dead and several injured, and the cancellation of the 2011 edition of the "Sea and Desert" music festival.

The president of the Dakhla music festival, José Kamal, suspects that the 25 February riots were caused by 15-18 year old youths inspired by images of uprisings broadcast by Arabic speaking media. Interviewed by the EFE news agency, the delegate of Polisario Front in Santa Cruz de Tenerife accuses the Moroccan army of complicity with settlers to attack the Sahrawis, and disapproves the music festival as a propaganda act.

Northern Cyprus

On 28 January, Turkish Cypriot protesters carrying flags of Cyprus gathered in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to protest the economic reforms and the Turkish government. Turkish prime minister Erdoğan accused the protesters of supporting the Greeks. The protest has been called Yasemin Devrimi, or the "Yasmin Revolution". Mehmet Çakıcı, the leader of Toplumcu Demokrasi Partisi (TDP), an opposition party in Northern Cyprus, claimed that the government of TRNC was similar to Mubarak's government. Çakıcı also asserted that the protest in Cyprus was larger than the protest in Egypt if the population differences were taken into account, and added that the aim of the Northern Cyprus protests was to make the TRNC government step down. A second demonstration was held on 2 March 2011.

Somaliland

Security forces in the unrecognized autonomous East African state reportedly detained dozens demonstrating against the government of Somaliland in the town of Las Anod on 6 March. About 20 people were injured, according to media reports.

International impact

Main article: Impact of 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has called for affected governments to refrain from the use of force against protesters and for greater democratic reforms in those countries. On 21 February, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, became the first world leader to visit Egypt since Mubarak was ousted as the president 10 days previously. A news blackout was lifted as the prime minister landed in Cairo for a brief five-hour stopover hastily added at the start of a planned tour of the Middle East.

World economy

As many of the world's major oil producing countries are in the Middle East, the unrest has sent oil prices higher. The International Monetary Fund accordingly revised its forecast for 2011 oil prices to reflect a higher price, and also reported that food prices could rise. Additionally, concerns about Egypt's Suez Canal have raised shipping and oil prices.

Analysis

Al Jazeera won praise for its coverage of the protests, even though it angered governments. Of the coverage by Al Jazeera, Hillary Clinton said, "Al Jazeera has been the leader in that are literally changing people's minds and attitudes. And like it or hate it, it is really effective". She also stated "in fact viewership of Al Jazeera is going up in the United States because it's real news. You may not agree with it, but you feel like you're getting real news around the clock instead of a million commercials ..."

The usage of social media has been extensive. As one Egyptian activist succinctly tweeted during the protests there, "We use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the world." Internet censorship has also been extensive, and in some cases comprehensive to the extent of taking entire nation-states practically off-line. The Economist Intelligence Unit created what it called the "Shoe-Thrower's index" in an attempt to the quantify the likelihood of regime change in Arab World countries following the protests. The name derives from shoeing, throwing shoes, showing the sole of one's shoe or using shoes to insult—forms of protest primarily associated with the Arab world. The index indicated that Yemen has the highest odds for undergoing a revolution, and Qatar the lowest. The index weighs based on the number of years the current ruler has been in power, the population of young people, per capita GDP, democracy index, political corruption, and freedom of the press. The Unrest Index has been cited by BBC News in its analysis of the protests. Alen Mattich at the Wall Street Journal created the "Revolting Index" to rate the likelihood of revolts by nation based on "social unfairness; propensity to revolt; and a trigger". However, Mattich readily admits that "the methodology is crude. There's been no econometric work done". The index listed multiple African nations towards the top of the list, as well as some Asian nations.

See also

• Impact of 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests
• Arab Revolt: uprising by Arabs against the Ottoman Empire during World War I (1916–1918)
• Civil resistance
• List of modern conflicts in the Middle East
• List of conflicts in the Maghreb
• List of ongoing military conflicts
• Revolutions of 1989: began with changes in Poland and eventually led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union
• Revolutions of 1848: Series of popular rebellions beginning with the French Revolution of 1848, then spreading throughout Europe
• People Power Revolution
• Freedom in the World
• List of freedom indices

Further reading

• Browers, Michaelle (2009). Political Ideology in the Arab World: Accommodation and Transformation. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-76532-9.
• Gardner, David (2009). Last Chance: The Middle East in the Balance. London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84885-041-5.
• Kaye, Dalia Dassa; et al. (2008). More Freedom, Less Terror? Liberalization and Political Violence in the Arab World. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. ISBN 978-0-8330-4508-9. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last2= (help)
• Ottaway, Marina; Choucair-Vizoso, Julia, eds. (2008). Beyond the Façade: Political Reform in the Arab World. Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ISBN 978-0-87003-239-4.
• Pelletreau, Robert H. (24 February 2011). "Transformation in the Middle East: Comparing the Uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain". Foreign Affairs.
• Posusney, Marsha Pripstein; Angrist, Michele Penner, eds. (2005). Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Regimes and Resistance. Boulder: Lynne Rienner. ISBN 1-58826-317-7.

External links

• Template:BOTW
• Middle East at Aljazeera English
• Middle East protests at BBC News
• Arab and Middle East protests live blog at The Guardian
• Middle East Protests at The Lede blog at The New York Times
• Arab and Middle East protests collected news and commentary at The Guardian
• Middle East protests live at Reuters
• "The Arab Revolution collected news and commentary". Der Spiegel.
• Unrest in the Arab World topic at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Arab Revolution Video Blog
• Issue Guide: Arab World Protests, Council on Foreign Relations, February 16, 2011
• Middle East in Revolt, collected news and commentary at Time magazine
• The Shoe Thrower's index, An index of unrest in the Arab world, The Economist, February 9, 2011
• Interview with Tariq Ramadan: "We Need to Get a Better Sense of the Trends within Islamism" Qantara.de
• Political Upheaval in Egypt: The Mubarak System without Mubarak
• Tracking the wave of protests with statistics