Friday 14 January 2011 -- After a dramatic 24 hours when Tunisia's dictator president Ben Ali first tried promising liberalisation and an end to police shootings of demonstrators and then, this evening at 16:00, declaring martial law, he has finally fallen from office. While the rumours are still swirling, one thing is clear, Ben Ali has left Tunisia and the army has stepped in. The comments after this article contain continuous updates of the uprising.
The day began with a mass demonstration called by Tunisia's trade union federation, the UGTT, in the capital Tunis. Between 10 and 15,000 people demonstrated outside the Ministry of the Interior. The initially peaceful scene broke down at around 14:30 local time as police moved in with tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd, some of whom had managed to scale the Ministry building and get on its roof. From then on, the city centre descended into chaos with running battles between the riot police and Tunisians of all ages and backgrounds fighting for the overthrow of the hated despot.
Finally, armoured cars from the army appeared on the street and a state of emergency and curfew was declared with Ben Ali threatening the populace that the security forces had carte blanche to open fire on any gatherings of more than three people. Soon, however, he disappeared from view and the rumours began to circulate. The army seized control of the airport and there were reports of convoys of limousines racing to the airport from the Ben Ali families palace. Finally the official announcement came. Ben Ali is gone. Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi appeared on state TV to announce that he was in charge of a caretaker government backed by the army.
Tonight the long-suffering people of Tunisia may rejoice that their last four weeks of heroic resistance has finally seen off the dictator who ran the most vicious police state in North Africa over them for the last 23 years.
But tomorrow morning will find the army in charge. What will happen tomorrow and the days to follow is anybody's guess. But the people now know that they have the power to overthrow a long-entrenched dictatorship, how much easier to take on a new unstable regime.
Report by Workers Solidarity Movement
Comments
I mentioned this to some friends at work (non-political types) and they were shocked that such a thing wouldn't get any major airtime on the news.
Where do people think this is going to go? Just following Mark's posts it seems like it's continually escalating... but to where?
El sindicalismo autónomo argelino, junto a la LADDH, declara su apoyo a la rebelión de la juventud argelina
Statements of support for the uprising of Algerian youth from autonomous unions in education and public administration, and from the Algerian league for the defence of human rights. This is a Spanish translation from the CGT North Africa site.
The CGT has links with some of these unions including SNAPAP and the CLA teachers union. There's an interview with an anarcho-syndicalist CLA member here.
More from the BBC:
Tunisia closes schools and universities following riots
Video
Q&A: Tunisia riots
In pictures: Tunisia protests
I've no special insights on this and I'd be interested in what people like Khawaga and Devrim think about it.
I'm not sure if we lived through the same 1990's, but Algerian political formations during that time both in terms of political parties (FIS and later GIA) and generally among the urban haitiste and lumpen were either completely dominated by or extremely succeptible to islamicist ideas. The Islamic Group in Egypt played a similar role, in both cases casting a retrograde cultural shadow over all forms of political dissent and possibilities for social change. The situation in Morocco was similar as well, and in all countries continued throughout most of the 2000's
It has typically been the unemployed that were more vulnerable to islamicist ideas, while those with jobs and education would have more secular tendencies.
All I was saying initially was that more recent struggles stand in contrast to the above mentioned politics, no religious justifications have been trotted out in the price riots, unemployed worker fights, housing struggles and labor disputes going out throughout north africa.
joselito:
As I understood it, the movements in Kabylie In Algeria, where most of the riots and social movements of this century and the 1990s happened, were secular and had a general "socialist" outlook. Again, as far as I understood it, the FIS were very much violently opposed to these movements. Other movements in Algeria may well have been different, but not the Kabylie ones afaik. But perhaps we're talking at cross purposes here - I wasn't talking about "political formations" but about struggles - in particular, I was talking about riots; as far as i know (which, admittedly, is not saying very much) there were very few strikes other than those initiated by the FIS in rivalry with the government who'd over-ruled the election result which went the FIS's way in the early 1990s ('91? '92?).
But maybe you know something different...?
In Spanish
Protestas en el Norte de África ¿qué está pasando?
alasbarricadas thread
There's also a thread on the Tunisia uprising on urban75
Tunisia: schools shuttered as protests continue; president promises jobs (LA Times)
Tunisian protests turn into cyberwar between government and hacker group (Computer World)
Lebanon: bloggers support Tunisian protests against “Arab Pinochet” (Global Voices)
At least 35 killed in Tunisia riots (AFP)
Tunisia: the brink of revolution
Recently on twitter
A huge march is taking place now in the City of Baja (N-W of Tunis)
Tunis Now : Artists trying to protest peacefully are being aggressed by police
Movie and theater celebrities were beaten by police forces for joining a flashmob in Tunis
Now: Tunisian artists molested by police on Tunis main avenue
TUNINDEX -4.28% now
Today the facebook was censored for 5 h in Tunisia
Int'l human rights org "has names of 35 dead"; total "at least 50" http://tinyurl.com/5u9x3gy
The police deployed snipers on the roofs in Kassrin
Clash in Rades #sidibouzid http://fb.me/Etl1YNHd
new protests in a new city in tunisia in the north : BEJA
Ya, I'm a bit suprised that we dont have any news articles on this yet. If I knew more about the situation over there I'd do it myself.
Samotnaf, briefly not to derail this.
True enough, the Kabyle struggle is in someways a parallel struggle to islamicism in Algeria. But it has been restricted by its principal political reps to a specific "cultural movement" about language and cultural expression. This did break down briefly during the Black Spring '01 when both partys headquarters were destroyed and arouch (something like neighborhood councils) were established. Nonetheless, the Kabyle struggle has proto-nationalist overtone due in part to the fact that the Kabyle were given special treatment by the French as a bulwark against the Arabs, they are strongly represented in the gov, many have lived andworked in France and today they are disproportionately represented among the elite, middle and upper classes in Algeria.
Again, as far as I understood it, the FIS were very much violently opposed to these movements. Other movements in Algeria may well have been different, but not the Kabylie ones afaik.
Yes, the FIS wanted sharia and continued arabization, which was not in the interests of the Kabyle, but recently a hybridization has taken place (in the past decade) at least with Al Qaeda and other Salafist groups using the Kabyle region as a base of operations and with some success recruiting among the Kabyle.
Probably stuff you already know.....
First of all, thanks a lot for this thread (specially mark's contributions) that i'm following everyday with the highest interest.
Second, to Joselito: this( http://infokiosques.net/IMG/pdf/Jaime_Semprun_-_Apologie_pour_l_insurection_algerienne.pdf ) is a text for those of you who read french by Jaime Semprún on 2001's upheaval and my only source about recent unrest in Algeria (i ain't counting here the conversations i've had with algerians that live here who fundamentally agree with the text) According to the info the berber cultural revindication tho it exists, plays no significant role in the movement. Even if the berber aarchs, that is assemblies, have historically played an important role in launching and organizing the revolt, this is no way a secessionist or berber fight against an arab majority. On the contrary back then and more than likely today, fight were fought jointly.
Try the text it's worth it. And long live Tunisian and Algerian proletarit's revolt!
Agreed.
I wouldn't let that stop you or anyone else taking it on; thanks to Mark primarily (and others) there are already enough facts and links on this thread to create a very useful article. Doing that would be part of a learning process for anyone who wants to know more about the region, its history and ongoing events. An OK article would also be likely to attract those sympathetic to its viewpoint who had more direct knowledge of events.
On another thread posters are promoting the idea of libcom blogs being submitted for some bourgeois media prize - yet, despite many regular posters who shoot the bull on here, 2 weeks in and no news article on a major insurrection? Priorities are all upside down.
From the International Marxist Tendency site. I'm not enthusiastic about their politics but this is a useful article.
Tunisian revolt goes on unabated: ‘We do not fear you any more!’
I've been planning to bang an article together on this (hopefully as the basis for looking into events in more detail, which is what they deserve), unfortunately I've not had enough time as of yet. But if someone has the time and inclination to do it it would be very useful.
Time's the problem for me really. I'm a slow writer and I know if sit down to try and write the article that needs writing it will mean taking a break from updating this thread.
Taking Red Marriott's point it does start to feel like people here can create endless threads about Russia in 1917 or Spain or decadence theory or whatever but have nothing to say when a revolution actually starts. Thanks to the people who have contributed though.
Today's events in Tunisia
This quote, and the one in Spanish below, refers to another Radio Kalima journalist, Moez El Jemai, who also works with the CGT North Africa site. He was arrested on 6 January and tortured and interrogated before being released two days later.
Fin de semana sangriento en Túnez La represión es implacable
Embrasement dans la capitale
Jasmin revolution: photos from yesterday
I don't have anything to add, but thanks Mark. for everything that you have done on this thread.
From the BBC:
World Service broadcast: unrest in Tunisia forces schools to close
Report from and radio interview with BBC correspondent Chloe Arnold in Algiers. I can't say I'm that impressed really but at least the story is being covered.
'Dozens killed' in Tunisia protests
Tunisia protests: Fresh clashes in Tunis
Reaction to violence in Tunisia and Algeria
The last article is the most interesting, perhaps because it's letting Tunisians and Algerians speak for themselves.
Al Jazeera: Tunisia unrest spreads to capital
Unfortunately I know very little about Tunisia, so I don't have any special insight either. What you're posting Mark. (plus some Egyptian bloggers, but they're not commies) is basically what I know about what's happening.
Khawaga - Fair enough really. I suppose I was hoping for some informed speculation about where this is leading, but that's actually quite difficult unless you've spent time in a country and know it quite well.
Recently on twitter
clashes now in the capital #Tunis in Malaseen & Tadhamoun neighbourhoods
Tunisians on IRC: "Authorities announce curfew in Tunis."
A Kasserine, le «chaos» relaté par les internautes tunisiens #sidibouzid http://bit.ly/dS48dI
French national TV TF1 reports from Kasserine: http://is.gd/kApFb (Video, French)
Video: Police open fire on protestors in Kasserine #sidibouzid http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=132831330114924
Communiqué du NPA. Répression en #Tunisie : halte à la complicité du gouvernement français. #sidibouzid #france http://bit.ly/hiuzji
Poursuite et extension du mouvement de protestation #sidibouzid http://post.ly/1TKpx
Algeria and Tunisia: Protests Threaten Repressive Regimes #sidibouzid http://yhoo.it/hiKK9H
Riots Present and Future #sidibouzid http://bit.ly/dHLoTi
EFF Calls for Immediate Action to Defend Tunisian Activists Against Government Cyberattacks http://goo.gl/BXLbE
A picture showing who is behind banks robbery in Kassrin #SidiBouzid http://fb.me/sRsd5tRT
More raids and arrests in Tala, and the cops are robbing the markets
Also, here a video showing the military protecting civilians: http://is.gd/kAhF6 | Kudos
Artistes were clubbed by the police after trying a flashmobe in front of the My Theater in the capital
Clash with the police in Al Tadamon(in the Capital) #SidiBouzid http://fb.me/DhCuS9CO
France wants to /assist/ the Tunisian police.... http://is.gd/kAxiq
According to a source in Rabta hospital there are 4 dead people in the streets and a lot of injured haven’t been evacuated
News is that some of my cousins are still under fire in Sousse, DenDen nearby Bardo is quiet, Nabeul is in riot
Video: Protests and Response by the "West" http://tinyurl.com/4rozzjz
Terrifying: Rape of girls committed by the BOP in Kasserine #sidibouzid @SBZ_news http://tiny.cc/wt1vn
Radio Kalima report about rape cases in Kasserine came from #FB profile of leading Human Rights activist Sihem Bensedrine
Right now a clash between the police and protesters in Gabes
Next is Egypt turn, and that will be huge! #sidibouzid Un vent de liberté souffle au Maghreb. Vive la crise des subprimes
France24 news just confirmed the protestations happening right now in the capital #Tunis. #SidiBouzid #JasminRevolt
.
It's getting quite hard to keep up with the information coming out of Tunisia. Just now there have been calls on twitter to "please be responsible, tweet only sure informations with video or photos", and of course claims may be unfounded or unconfirmed.
I could speculate based on similar occurrences in Egypt, but I don't know how worthwhile that would be.
Khawaga - Any thoughts on how people are reacting to this in Egypt or what influence it might have would be interesting.