Suicide that sparked a revolution

The Events That Sparked Tunisia’s Uprising

The report traces Tunisia’s uprising to the self-immolation of 26-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor from Sidi Bouzid.

According to his family, on December 17, 2010, police seized his cart and produce after an encounter in which a policewoman slapped and insulted him. Bouazizi had supported his widowed mother and siblings since he was young. After the confrontation, he set himself on fire outside the local municipal building.

Friends and other residents took to the streets. The protests grew into an uprising that ended President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s 23-year rule. Ben Ali visited Bouazizi in the hospital shortly before he died.

Authorities kept tight control over Bouazizi’s burial, but cellphone footage showed mourners accompanying his body despite the risk of a police crackdown.

His family and friends remembered him as modest and well liked. He had hoped to marry and provide more for his family. The report shows his produce cart and the grave that became a place of pilgrimage for people hoping his death would lead to freedom.

Presenter/contributor: Ayman Mohyeldin (reporter)