Académique Documents
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PROTESTS
Location
Date
Goal
Characteristics:
Death(s)
Injured
Over 10,000
Cont
Cont
Cont
TUNISIA
December 18, 2010 Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation;
major demonstrations; strikes; riots; nationwide protest; attacks
to ruling party offices and police stations. 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 selfimmolation 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.
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ALGERIA
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.
From 1219 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 sack the
mayor.
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BAHRAIN
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 February 14and
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.
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EGYPT
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 armed and riding
camels and horses began to attack protesters with Molotov
cocktails. Many international journalists complained of
harassment and one local journalist was killed in the protests.
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IRAN
The 32 anniversary of the Iranian Revolution was said
to have had a low turnout on 11 February 2011. 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.
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IRAQ
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.
I
srael'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. February 16, up to 2,000
protesters took over a provincial council building in the
JORDAN
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.
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Raise fuel prices to fill your pocket with millions." Tawfiq alBatoush, 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 pricesOn 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 sacked the government
as a consequence of the street protests and asked Marouf al-Bakhit, a
former army general, to form a new Cabinet.
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KUWAIT
In a move seen by some as attempt to head off economic
issues as a cause for unrest, Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah gave all "its citizens free food rations
and a grant of $4,000. 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 February 1, 2011, to
March 31, 2012.who?Opposition groups called for protests on
March 8, and dozens of stateless Arabs demonstrated in Kuwait
on February 19.
LIBYA
Anti-government protests in Libya started on February 13,
2011. By February 18, most of Benghazi, the country's secondlargest 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 84 had been killed since the violence began.
Protests had spread to the capital Tripoli by February 20, which
led to a television address by Seif al-Islam, who warned that the
protestors that country may descend into civil war.
The rising death toll, which currently numbers in the
hundreds, has drawn international condemnation, with several
Libyan diplomats resigning and calling for the regime to be
dismantled. By 18 February, the opposition controlled most of
Benghazi, the country's second-largest city. The government
dispatched elite troops and mercenaries in an attempt to
recapture it, but they were repelled. It was estimated that at
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least 6,000 had been killed to that point.
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SAUDI ARABIA
In Saudi Arabia, an unidentified 65-year-old man died on
21 January after setting himself on fire in the town of Samtah,
Jizan. This was apparently the kingdom's first known case of
self-immolation.On 29 January, hundreds of protesters gathered
in the city of Jeddah in a rare display of criticism against the
city's poor infrastructure after deadly floods swept through the
city, killing eleven people. Police stopped the demonstration
about 15 minutes after it started.
About 30 to 50 people were arrested.[186] On the same
day, an online campaign started on Facebook, making demands
that included calling for Saudi Arabia to become a constitutional
monarchy, and for "an end to corruption, an even distribution of
wealth, and a serious solution for unemployment".On 5
February, about 40 women wearing black clothes demonstrated
in Riyadh, calling for the release of prisoners held without trial.
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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 alShabaab Mujahedeen (HSM), led by Sheikh Ibrahim "alAfghani", 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 organizers
were seized and taken into custody by the TFG.
On 15 February, forces loyal to the Transitional Federal
Government fired at a protest,[193] killing 4 and injuring 11
protestors.[194] This was condemned by Hawiye clan elders in
Mogadishu.[195] 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
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unrest."
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SUDAN
On 30 January, protests took place in Khartoum and AlUbayyid. In Khartoum, police clashed with demonstrators in the town
centre and at least two universities. Demonstrators had organized on
online social networking sites since the Tunisian protests the month
before. Hussein Khogali, editor in chief of the Al-Watan newspaper
stated that his daughter had been arrested for organizing the protest
via Facebook and opposition leader Mubarak al-Fadil's two sons were
arrested while on their way to the main protest.
Pro-government newspapers had warned that protests would
cause chaos. Some protesters called for President Omar al-Bashir to
step down. Activists said that dozens of people had been arrested.
The protests came on the same day the preliminary results for the
referendum indicated some 99% of South Sudanese voted to secede.
[200] One student died in hospital the same night from injuries
received in the clashes.[201] Students threw rocks at police officers
while chanting "No to high prices, no to corruption" and "Tunisia,
Egypt, Sudan together as one." Police officers arrested five and put
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down the protest.
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SYRIA
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Cont On February 14, blogger and student Tal al-Mallohi was sentenced to
five years in prison for spying for the United States. Washington denied these
allegations and asked for the release Tal immediately. February 15, under
pressure from human rights organizations, the Syrian government released
Ghassan al-Najjar, a "veteran Islamist activist" after he went on hunger strike
following his arrest for calling for mass protests. February 16, regime critic
and director of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria
(ODFS) Ribal al-Assad, the son of Rifaat al-Assad and cousin to Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad held a press conference in London, where he
made it clear that he "does not want to see a Syrian revolution, but a peaceful
change of power".
On February 17, a fight took place in central Damascus, between a
shop owner and traffic police. Everything took a new turn when three police
officers began attacking the man and beat him severely. Several people
gathered around and blocked the road, while shouting "the Syrian people will
not be pushed down". An eyewitness estimated the number to more than
1,500 demonstrators. Secret police officers arrived quickly to the scene along
with several "big names" and finally Minister of the Interior who scared away
the demonstrators. The minister took the shop owner in his car and promised
to investigate what had happened. A couple of hours later, several video
versions were posted on YouTube
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CHINA
There were calls made via social networks such as Twitter to
begin a "Jasmine Revolution" in China. Chinese authorities arrested
activists,] increased the normal police presence, disabled some cell
phone text messaging services and deleted Internet postings about
protests planned for 14:00 on 20 February in Beijing, Shanghai and 11
other cities. On the day of the protests, the police turned out en masse
to all of the potential protest locations in various cities around the
country.
Small crowds, including a large number of foreign journalists,
gathered at the planned site in Beijing and Shanghai but did not chant
slogans or hold signs. CPC General Secretary and President Hu
Jintao responded by calling top leaders into a "study session" to root
out and tackle social issues before they "become threats to stability".
In a speech at the Central Party School, Hu called out for tighter
restrictions to the internet.
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.
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