Editor's Note - January 13, 2011

Mohamed Bouazizi, an unemployed 26-year-old university graduate sold groceries illegally in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid to survive. When police confiscated his produce because he didn’t have a permit he became so angry that he set himself on fire in protest. His action along with a dire economic situation sparked unusual popular demonstrations in Sidi Bouzid. Quickly the dissent crossed over to other cities and reached the capital, Tunis. The more they spread, the more the demonstrations got louder and more violent. Mohamed Bouazizi died in hospital on January 5, 2011, three weeks after his self-emulation. My blog post is about today and its meaning for Tunisia and its future.

Labels: Editor's Note