Tunisian Revolution
In December 2010 and January 2011 protests ignited by the death of Mohamed Bouazizi forced Tunisian president Ben Ali to flee after twenty-three years in power.
Overview
The street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire on 17 December 2010 after police harassment, becoming the spark for nationwide protests over unemployment, corruption, and dictatorship. Police violence killed more than three hundred people, deepening the fury. Trade unions and professional associations joined the movement, and the army chief refused to fire on crowds. On 14 January 2011 Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia, the first Arab dictator toppled by popular protest and the trigger of the Arab Spring. A transition roadmap dissolved the ruling party structures, and the National Dialogue Quartet won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the 2014 constitution. Tunisia remained the Arab Spring sole survivor of durable, if fragile, democracy before the 2021 presidential power grab.
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