A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Tunisia Declares Curfew in Kasserine Amid Protests That Echo 2011

In this month that marks the fifth anniversary of the success of the Tunisian Revolution some may feel a sense of déjà vu. Today Tunisia announced a curfew in the western provincial town of Kasserine, which has been the scene of demonstrations by unemployed young graduates, some of whom have attempted suicide. It inevitably reminds us of the suicide of Mohammad Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid that sparked the uprising.

Though a dictatorship has been replaced with a democracy and has even seen a peaceful transfer of power, for young graduates without job prospects, things have not improved, and the anniversary has underscored that irony.

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