So the use of real bullets [Tunisian police fired on protestors with live ammunition] and spreading out the protest to spread out thin the police forces was a very successful strategy. And this allowed the government in Tunis to be very weak. Plus the three TV speeches that Ben Ali had– every time he used the wrong words. Every time he pushed further. And everybody knew through Facebook what was happening. Everybody who did not have Facebook watched on Al-Jazeera Arabic what was happening.
Every night Al-Jazeera Arabic was the only network that broadcasted the videos that people posted on Facebook. So you have, like, Facebook review of all the videos and phone calls to the people in the local areas. And Al-Jazeera was watched by half of the Tunisian population at least. So every night at 10:00 p.m. would have that– show of 20 minutes of the review of all the videos and an assessment of the situation. And that same day the Tunisian TV would broadcast something totally different saying that these were terrorists. And these people from the West and it´s Islamist while nobody has seen any Islamists. And we know.
So there was constant propaganda that was extremely cheap, extremely cheap compared to the usual. [Former Tunisian President Zine el Abidine] Ben Ali succeeded to maintain his power for 23 years because he used a lot of scientific methods in implementing this dictatorship. And that really showed that the government was not managing the situation at all. Then at some point the protest came to Tunis. And I joined the first protest in front of the unions. Because the unions were the only voice of Tunisians at that time. So yeah.
I was there. And I was realizing the situation is getting bad although I was trying to somehow convey exactly what was happening. Because on Twitter there was lot of exaggeration– or a lot of excitement– I won´t say exaggeration– of what´s happening and every little event will really have a large exposure. And I was trying to convey exactly what was happening. And then real bullets got used in Tunis. And I think people were realizing it was really random. And that the government was not in control anymore. And in his last speech, Ben Ali on January 13th [2011], he said some reassuring words. But I don´t think lot of people believed him.
On January 14th [2011] there was a Facebook event where everyone on Habib Bourguiba Avenue to demonstrate. And I think everyone joined it. The same time the union organized a general protest for two hours. But I think Facebook managed to make this protest larger and allowed a lot of people who would not have come to the union event if they didn´t see it on Facebook. It was a large event. So crazy because it was mostly the upper-middle class who was there in Habib Bourguiba [Avenue] saying, ”Ben Ali degage” which means “get out.” [in French]
And that day was crucial in showing that the public opinion has totally shifted and there was nobody supporting him anymore. And then also that he lost control because he said no more real bullets on January 13th [2011]. And on January 14th there were still bullets in the air and snipers. [January 14, 2011] was also the day he left. And it was a big surprise. It was a surprise to everyone I would say even his worst political opponent did not expect that he would leave so abruptly. On January 16th [2011] I was on air from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. reassuring people and trying to help out in the chaos that was going on.
The Army was trying to deploy. And that was chaotic at that time. Lots of shootings were happening. And people were extremely anxious and didn´t know what would be the future of Tunisia. And the same time a lot of excitement, a lot of joy. And that was, like, a historical moment for us, I think, seeing that the regime was not as powerful as we thought and that people were not afraid anymore. And that´s something really that you could see it here right now. In Tunisia nobody´s afraid anymore. We´re definitely a free country. And now we´re a democracy as well. And we´re really happy about that.
In 2004, Dr. Zied Mhirsi became a pioneer in Tunisia’s pre-revolutionary blogosphere, and used his blog, Zizou From Djerba, as a platform to express ideas, opinions, and experiences. He soon engaged others in the blogosphere on policy debates about topics like education, agriculture, and the environment. Initially, the Internet was one of the few venues for Tunisians to express themselves without being harassed by government authorities. As the regime of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali became more aware of the blogosphere’s ability to influence society, bloggers like Mhrisi became targets of censorship and persecution.
As a student studying in the United States, Mhirsi became involved in Tunisian radio and through his broadcasts, informed Tunisians about world events. When he returned to his homeland, Mhirsi remained active in radio and used it to promote the use of social media. This concept transformed into a weekly political show that featured voices from the Tunisian blogosphere prior to the 2010 uprising. Since the revolution, Mhirsi has worked extensively with international media analyzing the post-revolution political situation, working with outlets such as CNN, Al Jazeera English, 60 Minutes, CBS News, the New York Times, and the Financial Times, to produce news stories, documentaries, and other shows. In March 2011, Mhirsi co-founded Tunisia Live, the first Tunisian English-language news website. Tunisia Live is viewed by more than 100,000 visitors every month and serves as the main Tunisian news platform for English speakers.
In addition to his media activities, Mhirsi is a global health professional whose public health career focuses primarily on strengthening health systems to combat HIV/AIDS and other serious diseases.
Twitter: @zizoo
Blog: http://www.zizoufromdjerba.com/
Website: http://www.tunisia-live.net/
Tunisia is situated on the Mediterranean coastline. It has a population of fewer than 11 million people and is the smallest nation in North Africa in land area. In 2010 and 2011, it became the first of the Arab countries to revolt against decades of dictatorial rule, launching the Arab Spring and a wave of change across the region. Tunisia has a developing economy, focused largely on agriculture, tourism, and light industry.
Tunisia has been settled since ancient times. In the 10th century B.C., it was part of the Phoenician Empire. The city of Carthage, near the modern capital of Tunis, was established in the 9th century B.C. In 149 B.C., the Roman Empire conquered the Phoenicians. Islam was introduced to what is now Tunisia in the 7th century A.D., and the area formed part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. In 1881, Tunisia became a protectorate of France. A strong French cultural element continues to this day.
In 1956, Habib Bourguiba led Tunisia to independence from France. His political party, later known as the Constitutional Democratic Rally, went on to dominate Tunisian politics for more than 50 years. Bourguiba’s Tunisia was a largely secular state and was viewed as one of the most progressive in the Arab world on women’s issues. In 1987, Bourguiba was replaced in a “bloodless coup” by his prime minister, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Ben Ali continued many of Bourguiba’s policies, but ruled with an increasingly heavy hand. The Ben Ali regime was repressive and corrupt, with a dismal human rights record. The regime showed little tolerance for dissent, and lashed out at opposition voices in politics, civil society, and the media.
The Tunisian Revolution began in December 2010, when Mohamed Bouazizi, a young street vendor, set himself on fire in protest over harassment by a local official. Bouazizi’s act led to mass demonstrations across the country, protesting the lack of human rights, poor economic conditions, and corruption and nepotism in the Ben Ali regime. On January 14, 2011, Ben Ali stepped down and fled the country. On October 23, 2011, Tunisia held its first free elections, forming a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution and lead the country to general elections. The role of religion in society is among the most important issues facing the assembly and country.
Under the interim Constituent Assembly, Tunisia has experienced considerable political upheaval, but has begun to consolidate its democracy. There is a major fault line between Islamist and secular political forces. In 2013, several political assassinations resulted in widespread protests and demonstrators calling for the nation’s Islamist-led government to be removed. In January of 2014, after two years of debate, the Constituent Assembly ratified the nation’s new constitution. The constitution is considered progressive for the nation and has many human rights guarantees. With the ratification of the constitution, elections are scheduled for autumn 2014.
Freedom House’s 2013 Freedom in the World report categorized Tunisia as “partly free”. The nation received the following ratings on a scale with one being the most free and seven being the least: 3.5 as an overall freedom rating, a four in civil liberties and a three in political rights. Tunisia’s Internet and press were also categorized as “partly free” in subsequent Freedom House reports.
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