(Adnkronos) – Thousands of people took to the streets in central Tunis to commemorate the beginning, fifteen years ago, of the so-called Jasmine Revolution which sparked the Arab Springs. On this day, in 2010, the street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi immolated himself in Sidi Bouzid, in the southwest, setting himself on fire to protest against the economic and social conditions in Tunisia. He died 18 days later, at the age of 26. Within a few weeks, the movement expanded nationwide, culminating in the fall of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s regime on January 14, 2011, after 23 years in power.
Today’s demonstration represents, in addition to a commemoration, also a moment of protest against President Kais Saied. “Despite the results achieved during the years of democratic transition in constitutional and institutional building, for freedom of expression and the media, populist discourse has crept into the collective consciousness, exploiting errors, difficulties, and divergences,” reads a note released by civil rights groups.
