Ten year ago, it was self immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, the 26-year-old fruit seller in Tunisia triggered revolutions across the Middle East. The local government in his home town Sidi Bouzid has published a giant portrait on its headquarter building to commemorate the whistleblower.
On the morning of December 17, 2010, police had seized Mohamed’s scales because he was working as a street vendor without a permit. He went to complain to the governor at the provincial government building in Sidi Bouzid, but he refused to see him. In an act of sheer desperation and protest, Mohamed set himself a light on the street outside.
It triggered protest outside government building, earlier it was handful of people and later turned to be a huge crowd.
Ali Bouazizi, a cousin of Mohammed and was an active member of the secular Progressive Democratic Party had recorded the incident of self immolation and followed by protests on camera and posted it on facebook. The video was viral within a short period. That evening, news channels started to report on what had happened. It grew intensity of protests. The revolution ended with the fall of 33 year old regime of Zein Al Abidin Ben Ali. He assumed the presidency On 7 November 1987. In neighbouring Arab countries like Egypt, Libiya, Syria also started protest against their dictator rulers.
