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
Anticipating a Moroccan SidiBouzid?
Thanks Mark. I'm glad to hear that Kifaya (most likely them, if I go by the name) were planning solidarity protests with Tunisians. While I was living there the only thing that riled people up enough was the wars Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, and of course domestic issues. So it's good that they've broadened the net to include more *working class* struggles in other countries.
Tunisia: map of social protests
Timeline: Tunisia's civil unrest
Tunisian lawyers on strike --- video
Riots erupt across Algeria over prices, jobs --- photos
Vague d’arrestations de blogueurs et de militants
Tunisie: "Un silence embarrassé prévaut en Europe"
Some background information in French and Spanish on the Tunisian opposition and unions. I'm not sure how useful this is but I haven't found much of any depth in English.
To summarise, the sole union federation the UGTT is a bureaucratic organisation that has become part of the apparatus of power. Member unions can only call strikes with permission from the executive committee. Some regional sections are still refusing to support the protest movement.
La Tunisie gronde toujours, mais qui pour remplacer Ben Ali?
CGT materiales internacionales - sindicalismo en el norte de Africa
Machine translation of El País article: Tunis Protests spread to a dozen cities in Algeria
More on the IFEX meeting: Colaboración española con la dictadura tunecina
From the IFEX site:
Internet censors move into top gear in response to widespread unrest
Journalist in intensive care following attack by police
Online activity censored, critics silenced
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Some more videos
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Rassemblements à Paris et Genève en soutien à la révolte sociale en Tunisie
Al Jazeera - Price protests erupt across Algeria
Tunisia and the Arab house of cards
Wave of arrests of bloggers and activists
Radio report including an interview with blogger Slim Ammamou who was arrested yesterday. Listen to the full interview here.
Pirate Party members facing political repression in Tunisia
One question that's left unanswered in the reports I've seen this week is whether there have actually been strikes in workplaces.
There were reports of calls for general strikes on Monday and Thursday but I'm not sure what these amounted to and I get the impression, possibly wrongly, that the callouts came from students and lawyers respectively rather than workers themselves. There are various mentions of 'trade unionists in the vanguard', as Brian Whitaker puts it, but I'm not at all clear what this means in practice.
It's also possible that workers are less likely to be on the internet or using languages other than Arabic and that information about what's happening isn't getting through.
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Video: Students demonstrating in Klibia (~50 mi east of Tunis)
There are various videos of student protests being put online and this looks fairly typical. I think that what is happening is that they are being kept on the premises by lines of police. Just now on twitter there's a report that 'students have broken through the police barricades in Sfax'.
Just to say thanks for all these updates, I have been reading them with interest as I'm sure others have been, unfortunately I don't really have any information of my own to add.
Just to echo that yes the involvement of workers will be key, but it does not seem clear what the level of involvement is at the moment. The photograph of the strike you posted above from Facebook is an old photo not from Tunisia, associated with one of the big international anti-globalisation demonstrations, though I cannot remember which. Maybe Prague…
I had doubts about that photo after I'd posted it. It doesn't really look like north Africa.
Syrians support Tunisian protests
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Does anyone know if 'Intifada' has any specific Palestinian connotations or whether it's just a general word for an uprising?
Football cancelled in Algeria:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12134307
Recently on twitter - with emphasis that nothing is confirmed and rumours may be flying around...
'Army has been called into Seliana, Om l'ariass, Jbniana, Sidi Bouzid, Sousse, and Kasserine'
'from trusted source: head of army Rachid Ammar ordered officers not to participate in police repression of #sidibouzid'
'Gen. Rachid Ammar who is hypothetically siding with protesters was about to be sacked and replaced'
'Rachid Ammar was about 2 b replaced as Army chief of staff by Ahmed Chebir. May explain y he may b siding w/ protesters'
'police's leaving Tela bcoz they can't control the situation'
'riots between locals and security forces. from the journalist Ziad El Heni, shots with bullets'
Videos
Clash in Regueb
Yesterday in the Faculty of A&H in Sousse
Protest in Enfidha (Sousse)
Protest at Lycée Pilote Ariana
Les manifestations ont repris en Algérie après une matinée calme
La France dans l'embarras face aux troubles en Tunisie et Algérie
Tunisie-Sidi Bouzid: déclaration de l'UGTT en 10 points
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Recently on twitter
'demain une très grande manif à tunis l'appel était lancé par lunion régionale du travail, soyez nombreux au rdv svp'
'Sat 11 o'clock flashmob for release of Tunesian Pirates in front of Tunesian embassy, Lindenallee 16, Berlin'
'DAY 22 of Tunisian Uprising: internet and news sources say protests have spread to all Tunisian cities today'
'Until this moment the given order to the army is : “get ready to Intervene”'
'Breaking News: On Al Arabiya "US State Department summons Tunisian ambassador to Washington over #SidiBouzid protests" Finally they woke up'
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More on riots, protests in North Africa - long article with detailed analysis of Algeria
Tunisie, Algérie: la colère gronde - video report in French
I've just seen this thread, and it looks incredibly interesting. Is there any article which sums it up best, because I don't really want to trawl through all the links?
mons - you could start by looking back at the articles I've posted in full at comments #8 and #37, the second one looking at the possible implications of what's happening. Things are moving too fast for one article to sum it up though.
Al Jazeera's timeline might be helpful too. I haven't seen anything in English yet that's written from an explicitly libertarian perspective.
Edit: I've already posted this link but it's a reasonable overview of the protests with an emphasis on the censorship/internet angle: What's happening in Tunisia?
It means uprising or rebellion, from a verb that means to shake. It is used now throughout the arab world from what I've observed.
Cheers for the updates
UGTT statement
Statement of the National Administrative Commission of the Tunisian General Union of Labor
The members of the National Administrative Commission met on Tuesday, 4th January 2011 under the chairmanship of comrade Abdessalem Jerad, the General Secretary of the Tunisian General Labor Union. The meeting took place following the analysis of the painful events witnessed by Sidi Bouzid, Kasserine and other regions. These events were characterized by spontaneous movements initially demanding the right to work. Believing in the national and social role of the Tunisian General Labor Union and in order to contribute in the development of better prospects the members of the National administrative Commission:
1. Confirm the contents of the trade unionist statements as well as the statement issued by the Executive Bureau of the Union, which include concepts and principles about the pillars of sustainable development stated in the regulations of the concerned authorities centrally, regionally and sectorally, which evolved through studies and seminars on employment and labor relationships. They also call for a development pattern that takes into account the basic needs, which is based on justice and balance between the regions, and in which the State and the public sector perform the task of investing. This is mainly due to the fact that the private sector has not reached the required level of investment in the areas of priority, despite the fiscal, financial and social privileges that it enjoys.
2. Express their solidarity with the people of Sidi Bouzid and other internal regions in their legitimate aspirations towards a better reality and towards a pattern of development that ensures justice and equality, and guarantees the right to decent work and to job opportunities that provide a minimum income enabling people to meet the increase of prices. They also call for an urgent intervention in order to repair the clear damages that touched the inhabitants of Sidi Bouzid.
3. Emphasize the need to give the representatives of the Tunisian General Labor Union a permanent membership in the regional boards of employment and in the local employment committees. They also renew the demand of creating an unemployment fund to protect the dismissed workers and provide them with an income that enables them to meet their basic needs when they lose their jobs due to the economic changes, especially the policy of privatizing the public institutions.
4. Register with dismay the action of surrounding the regional and local trade unions in an attempt to block the last peaceful trade unionist movements. This led to practices of violence targeting a number of trade unionists, both locally and regionally.
5. Call for the release of the remaining detainees, ending their prosecution and removing all forms of security blockade in Sidi Bouzid and in the other regions. The members of the administrative commission also call for the adoption of dialogue as an essential mechanism to address all the kinds of reactions.
6. Express their solidarity with the families of the innocent victims and ask for a follow-up of those found guilty in hurting innocent victims.
7. Express their support for the lawyers and all the institutions of civil society in their support for our people in Sidi Bouzid during the spontaneous movements aiming to improve the reality of living in the region, to ensure social projects and to guarantee them a dignified life.
8. Express their resentment for the absence of the national media in the recent events and for the deliberate lack of coverage of the developments in response to the aspiration of the Tunisian citizen to know what is happening in his country. This led to a media vacuum which strikingly calls for a comprehensive review of the reality of the media. They also stress the importance of promoting the media and improving the ways of dealing with events in order to develop its performance and make it capable of dealing with the substantive economic, social and political issues and of adopting courage, transparency and clarity in the disclosure of some aspects of misconduct and the practices that are inconsistent with the values of justice, freedom and equality and which may affect the substance of the laws of civil and human rights as well as the institutions of civil society.
9. Call for political reforms in order to deepen democracy and promote freedom, and to activate the role of the Tunisian League for Human Rights as an important national gain because of its role in the actual consecration of the State of law and institutions. They also affirm the need to enable the Tunisian League for Human Rights to hold its congress respecting the independence of its decision.
10. Consider that negotiation is a legitimate international and domestic right and that going on strike is the essence of the right of freedom of association. They call the authorities to negotiate seriously with the labor union of education and the unions of the other sectors and to respond to their demands which were issued by their administrative commissions in order to contribute to the establishment of a social climate characterized by stability and which emphasizes the importance of dialogue in reducing the possible social problems. The members of the national administrative commission also renew their demand of reintegrating the dismissed workers of the mining basin in their previous jobs in order to put an end to a situation representing one of the factors contributing to a tense social climate.
Long live the Tunisian General Labor Union, free, democratic and independent fighter.
Tunis, January 04, 2011
The General Secretary Abdessalem Jerad
Reading that it all sounds very reformist, which doesn't necessarily mean there's a reformist solution, at least without the end of the dictatorship.
According to twitter they've called for a mass demonstration in Tunis tomorrow.
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Edited to correct the attribution of the above quote which is a translation of part of an article in Spanish posted above. It was published by the CGT but written by a member of the OTDLS (Tunisian observatory for trade union rights and freedoms).
Al Jazeera: Tunisia arrests bloggers and rapper
Guardian: Algerian riots resume over food prices
Al Jazeera: Algeria police on guard after riots
Reuters: Algeria beefs up security amid fresh protest
Recently on twitter
'Heavy clashes in the city of Kasserine, police use tear gas and cut power to curb protests, but are unable to do so'
'Protests intensifying and spreading in Kasserine, police use tear gas and rubber bullets but are losing the battle'
'Five demonstrators were injured by bullets in clashes with police near Sidi Bu Zayd'
'Rassemblement contre la répression en Tunisie . 8 janvier·14:00-16:00.7, esplanade Henri de France, 75015 Paris'
Recently on twitter
TV7 national tunisian tv website hacked! Free Slim amamou page instead!
For the 6th day in a row. strikes and marches continue in Jebeniana in #Tunisia. esp around Jan. 18th college. Police surrounding area
A violent clash between protests and police forces in Ksar Hellal(Monastir Gov) and the protests attacked the police station
Tajerouine - Police raids neighborhood and suceeds in arresting civilians while others ran into the mountains to hide
L utlisation de l armee contre son propre peuple .. le regime mafieu joue ses derniers cartes
Greve géneral pour lundi10,mardi 11Janvier de toutes les facultés et lycées à travers la Tunisie ,journée noir pr ammar. RT SVP
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Video: Military convoy heading into Thala
Army on the streets in Kasserine: photo 1 --- photo 2
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Tunisia: the US speaks (Brian Whitaker's blog)
Al Jazeera report on the uprising in Algeria
Euronews videos
Anger in Algeria sparks fresh riots
Appeals via internet over Tunisian detainees
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Tampa radio WMNF interview with Tunisian blogger
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Recently on twitter
Sousse Faculty of Arts under a hail of tear gas
A woman attempts to suicide in #Kassrine this morning. Demonstrations in the state. Demonstrators attack gov offices.
An old man – more then 60 y- died today after been beaten by the police forces in El Kef
@BBCKimGhattas Uprising in #Tunisia is escalating. Army deployed in south, other cities joined riots. Any plans to cover?
Heavy rioting in southern Tunisia causes fires: http://goo.gl/Tb54G | http://goo.gl/h7pJC | http://goo.gl/FhprJ #OpTunisia #SidiBouzid
More pro-#SidiBouzid defacements seem to be coming from #Tunisian #hackers and not original #Anonymous deface teams. #AnonOps #Anon
#Tunisian insurance assoc website defaced with pro-#SidiBouzid msg http://goo.gl/kxz72 http://i.imgur.com/QXPzq.png #Deface
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TuniLeaks
Movilizaciones en distintos países en solidaridad con el pueblo tunecino
Demo at the Tunisian consulate in Montreal
UGTT demo in Tunis
Sihem Bensedrine on the development of the protests
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From the above it looks as if the Tunis demo ('several hundred members of the Tunisian General Union of Labour, which rights groups accuse of being too close to the government') was actually quite small considering the scale of the unrest.
The second article says that 'the trade union federation in Sidi Bouzid has announced a general strike on 12 January', and I'm wondering if this is the first strike call to actually come from the unions.
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Edited to add video of UGTT demo and flashmob video
Al Jazeera - Algeria unrest turns deadly