Arab Spring Marks First Anniversary

In Tunisia, crowds gather to reflect on how it all began.

What a difference a year can make. It seems like just yesterday Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation unwittingly set off the Arab Spring on December 17, 2010. Today, on the anniversary of the young Tunisian fruit vendor’s death, thousands are rallying in Tunisia to commemorate his life. It took less than a month after the incident to oust then-president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, who is now the subject of 18 trials in Tunisia alone and faces an international warrant. The country, still plagued by social and economic stagnation, is now in the midst of forming a new government under newly-elected President Moncef Marzouki. Not everyone is celebrating the Arab Spring’s anniversary today, as the death tolls in Egypt and Syria continue to rise.

Image courtesy of Reuters.