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Summary Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in an act of protest that inspired the Arab Spring.
December 17 marks the anniversary of the day Mohamed Bouazizi, an unemployed university graduate in the provincial Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid, set himself on fire after he was driven to despair by police who confiscated his unlicensed fruit and vegetable cart. He later died in hospital.His death unleashed a wave of anger about poverty, unemployment and repression which built into nationwide protests. Less than a month later, the protests forced president Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country.In turn, Tunisias revolution inspired people in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain to protest against their authoritarian rulers in an uprising that has reshaped the political landscape of the Arab world.
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