Arab Spring

Arab Spring الثّورات العربيّة
Clockwise from top left: Protesters gathering in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt; Demonstrators marching through Habib Bourguib Avenue in Tunis, Tunisia; Political dissidents in Sana'a, Yemen, demanding the resignation of the president; Protests in Douma, Syria.
Date	18 December 2010 (2010-12-18) – present
Location	Arab World (see list of countries)
Caused by	Demographic structural factors(see section {{Section link}}: required section parameter(s) missing) Authoritarian states Extreme poverty Government corruption Human rights violations Inflation Kleptocracy Sectarianism Unemployment
Methods	Civil disobedience Civil resistance Demonstrations Online activism Protest camps Rebellion Revolution Self-immolations Strike actions Uprising Urban warfare
Status	Ongoing (as of 7 July 2011) Tunisian President Ben Ali ousted, and government overthrown. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ousted, and government overthrown. Unclear situation in Yemen as Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh leaves for Saudi Arabia for medical treatment and hands over power to his Vice President. Libya divided by civil war and experiencing foreign intervention in the form of a no-fly zone and air strikes. Civil uprisings against the governments of Syria and Bahrain, despite government changes. Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman implementing government changes in response to protests. Morocco implementing constitutional reforms in response to protests. Ongoing protests in Algeria, Iraq, and other countries.
Casualties
Death(s)	16,841–17,113+ (International estimate; see table below)

The Arab Spring (Template:Lang-ar; literally the Arabic Rebellions or the Arab Revolutions) is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world. Since 18 December 2010 there have been revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt; a civil war in Libya; civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen; major protests in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman, as well as on the borders of Israel; as well as in Tel Aviv and minor protests in Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara. The protests have shared techniques of civil resistance in sustained campaigns involving strikes, demonstrations, marches and rallies, as well as the use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, to organize, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of state attempts at repression and internet censorship. Many demonstrations have also met violent responses from authorities, as well as from pro-government militias and counter-demonstrators. The slogan of the demonstrators in the Arab world has been Ash-sha`b yurid isqat an-nizam ("The people want to bring down the regime").

Overview

The series of protests and demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa has become known as the "Arab Spring", and sometimes as the "Arab Spring and Winter", "Arab Awakening" or "Arab Uprisings" even though not all participants in protests identify as Arab. It was sparked by the first protests that occurred in Tunisia on 18 December 2010 following Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in protest of police corruption and ill treatment. With the success of the protests in Tunisia, a wave of unrest struck Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, and Yemen, then spread to other countries, with the largest, most organised demonstrations often occurring on a "day of rage", usually Friday after noon prayers. The protests have also triggered similar unrest outside the region.

As of July 2011, demonstrations have resulted in the overthrow of two heads of state: Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on 14 January following the Tunisian revolution protests, and in Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak resigned on 11 February 2011, after 18 days of massive protests, ending his 30-year presidency. During this period of regional unrest, several leaders announced their intentions to step down at the end of their current terms. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced that he would not seek re-election in 2015, as did Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose term ends in 2014, although there have been increasingly violent demonstrations demanding his immediate resignation. Protests in Jordan have also caused the resignation of the government resulting in former Prime Minister and Ambassador to Israel Marouf al-Bakhit being appointed prime minister by King Abdullah and tasked with forming a new government. Another leader, President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen, announced on 23 April that he would step down within 30 days in exchange for immunity, a deal the Yemeni opposition informally accepted on 26 April; Saleh then reneged on the deal, prolonging the Yemeni uprising. Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi has refused to step down, causing a civil war between his loyalists and rebels based in Benghazi.

The geopolitical implications of the protests have drawn global attention, including the suggestion that some protesters may be nominated for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

Algeria

Libya

Egypt

Sudan

Mauritania

—Tunisia

Morocco

Western
Sahara

Saudi Arabia

Jordan

Lebanon—

Israeli border—

Syria

Iraq

—Kuwait

—Bahrain

Oman

Yemen

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  Revolution   Civil war   Sustained civil disorder and governmental changes   Protests and governmental changes
  Major protests   Minor protests
  Protests outside the Arab world

Summary of protests by country

Country	Date started	Type(s) of protests	Outcome	Death toll	Situation
Tunisia	18 December 2010	Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation, Nationwide protest, occupation of public places	• Ousting of President Ben Ali and Prime Minister Ghannouchi  • Dissolution of the political police  • Dissolution of the RCD, the former ruling party of Tunisia and liquidation of its assets  • Release of political prisoners  • Elections to a Constituent Assembly on 23 October 2011	223	Revolution
Algeria	28 December 2010	Self-immolations, major protests, riots, road blocks	• Lifting of the 19-year-old state of emergency	8	Major protests
Lebanon	February 2011	Protests, riots, anti-sectarian protests		0	Protests and governmental changes
Jordan	14 January 2011	Major protests and demonstrations, self-immolation.	• King Abdullah II dismisses Prime Minister Rifai and his cabinet.	1	Protests and governmental changes
Mauritania	17 January 2011	Self-immolation, protests		1	Protests
Sudan	17 January 2011	Minor protests	• President Bashir announces he will not seek another term in 2015.	1	Protests
Oman	17 January 2011	Major protests	• Economic concessions by Sultan Qaboos;  • Dismissal of ministers;  • Granting of lawmaking powers to Oman's elected legislature	2–6	Protests and governmental changes
Saudi Arabia	21 January 2011	Self-immolation, minor demonstrations, frequent medium-scale (100–1000 people) protests in Eastern Province	• Economic concessions by King Abdullah;  • Men-only municipal elections to be held 22 September 2011	2	Protests
Egypt	25 January 2011	Self-immolations, nationwide protests, occupation of public spaces, attacks and burning of official buildings and police stations, storming prisons, raiding State Security Investigations Service buildings	• Ousting of President Mubarak and Prime Ministers Nazif and Shafik;  • Assumption of power by the Armed Forces;  • Suspension of the Constitution, dissolution of the Parliament;  • Disbanding of State Security Investigations Service;  • Dissolution of the NDP, the former ruling party of Egypt and transfer of its assets to the state	846	Revolution
Morocco	30 January 2011	Self-immolation, protests, attacks on properties	• Political concessions by King Mohammed VI;  • Referendum on constitutional reforms;  • Respect to civil rights and an end to corruption	7	Protests and governmental changes
Yemen	3 February 2011	Nationwide protest, riots, fighting between local tribes and government forces	• Resignation of MPs from the ruling party  • On the June 4, President Ali Abdullah Saleh is injured in an attack on a mosque in his compound in the Yemeni capital Sana'a, causing him and 35 members of his family, including his wife, as well as the prime minister and the Speaker of the Yemeni parliament, to leave Yemen for Saudi Arabia. As of 7 July, Saleh has not returned to Yemen.  • Vice President Abd al-Rahman Mansur al-Hadi takes over as Acting President on 4 June 2011.	967-1,203	Sustained civil disorder and governmental changes
Iraq	10 February 2011	Self-immolation, major protests, riots, attacks on official buildings	• Prime Minister Maliki announces that he will not run for a 3rd term;  • Resignation of provincial governors and local authorities	28+	Major protests
Bahrain	14 February 2011	Major demonstrations, occupation of public spaces	• Economic concessions by King Hamad;  • Release of political prisoners;  • Dismissal of ministers;  • GCC intervention at the request of the Government of Bahrain	36	Sustained civil disorder and governmental changes
Libya	15 February 2011	Nationwide protests, armed revolt, defections, occupation of cities, civil war	• Opposition forces seize control of numerous Libyan cities  • Formation of the National Transitional Council  • UN-mandated NATO, Jordanian, Qatari, Swedish, and Emirati military intervention	13,000	Ongoing civil war
Syria	17 February 2011	Self-immolation, nationwide protests, attacks on official buildings	• Release of political prisoners;  • End of Emergency Law;  • Dismissal of Provincial Governors;  • Military action in Daraa and other areas;  • Resignations from Parliament;  • Resignation of the Government  • Small defections within Syrian army and clashes among soldiers;	1,678–1,887	Sustained civil disorder and governmental changes
Kuwait	18 February 2011	Protests, clashes between riot police and 'bidoons (bedouns)'	• Resignation of Cabinet	0	Protests and governmental changes
Western Sahara	26 February 2011	Minor protests		0	Protests
Borders of Israel Egypt Jordan Lebanon Gaza Strip West Bank Syria	15 May 2011	Major demonstrations, clashes at the borders of Israel		30-40	Major protests
Total death toll:	16,841-17,113+ (International estimate, ongoing)

Background

Motivations

File:Al Thoura.jpg

Photo calling on a revolution in the Arab world

Numerous factors have led to the protests, including issues such as dictatorship or absolute monarchy, human rights violations, government corruption (demonstrated by Wikileaks diplomatic cables), economic decline, unemployment, extreme poverty, and a number of demographic structural factors, such as a large percentage of educated but dissatisfied youth within the population. Also, some attribute the 2009 Iranian protests as one of the reasons behind the Arab Spring. The catalysts for the revolts in all Northern African and Persian Gulf countries have been the concentration of wealth in the hands of autocrats in power for decades, insufficient transparency of its redistribution, corruption, and especially the refusal of the youth to accept the status quo. Increasing food prices and global famine rates have also been a significant factor, as they involve threats to food security worldwide and prices that approach levels of the 2007–2008 world food price crisis. Amnesty International singled out Wikileaks release of US diplomatic cables as a catalyst for the revolts.

In recent decades rising living standards and literacy rates, as well as the increased availability of higher education, have resulted in an improved human development index in the affected countries. The tension between rising aspirations and a lack of government reform may have been a contributing factor in all of the protests. Many of the internet-savvy youth of these countries have studied in the West, where autocrats and absolute monarchies are considered anachronisms. A university professor of Oman, Al-Najma Zidjaly referred to this upheaval as youthquake.

Tunisia and Egypt, the first to witness major uprisings, differ from other North African and Middle Eastern nations such as Algeria and Libya in that they lack significant oil revenue, and were thus unable to make concessions to calm the masses.

Recent history

The current wave of protests is not an entirely new phenomenon, resulting in part from the activities of dissident activists as well as members of a variety of social and union organizations who have been active for years in Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, and other countries in the area, as well as in the territory of Western Sahara.

Tunisia experienced a series of conflicts over the past three years, the most notable occurring in the mining area of Gafsa in 2008, where protests continued for many months. These protest included rallies, sit-ins, and strikes, during which there were two fatalities, an unspecified number of wounded, and dozens of arrests. The Egyptian labor movement had been strong for years, with more than 3,000 labor actions since 2004. One important demonstration was an attempted workers' strike on 6 April 2008 at the state-run textile factories of al-Mahalla al-Kabra, just outside Cairo. The idea for this type of demonstration spread throughout the country, promoted by computer-literate working class youths and their supporters among middle-class college students. A Facebook page, set up to promote the strike, attracted tens of thousands of followers. The government mobilized to break the strike through infiltration and riot police, and while the regime was somewhat successful in forestalling a strike, dissidents formed the "April 6 Committee" of youths and labor activists, which became one of the major forces calling for the anti-Mubarak demonstration on 25 January in Tahrir Square.

In Algeria, discontent had been building for years over a number of issues. In February 2008, United States Ambassador Robert Ford wrote in a leaked diplomatic cable that Algeria is 'unhappy' with long-standing political alienation; that social discontent persisted throughout the country, with food strikes occurring almost every week; that there were demonstrations every day somewhere in the country; and that the Algerian government was corrupt and fragile. Some have claimed that during 2010 there were as many as '9,700 riots and unrests' throughout the country. Many protests focused on issues such as education and health care, while others cited rampant corruption.

In Western Sahara, the Gdeim Izik protest camp was erected 12 km south-east of El Aaiún by a group of young Sahrawis on 9 October 2010, starting fall protests in the divided territory. Their intention was to demonstrate against labor discrimination, unemployment, looting of resources, and human rights abuses. The camp contained between 12,000 and 20,000 inhabitants, but on 8 November 2010 it was destroyed and its inhabitants evicted by Moroccan security forces. The security forces faced strong opposition from some young Sahrawi civilians, and rioting soon spread to El Aaiún and other towns within the territory, resulting in an unknown number of injuries and deaths. Violence against Sahrawis in the aftermath of the protests was cited as a reason for renewed protests months later, after the start of the Arab Spring.

The catalyst for the current escalation of protests was the self-immolation of individuals such as Mohamed Bouazizi, which brought together various groups dissatisfied with the existing system, including many unemployed, political and human rights activists, labor, trade unionists, students, professors, lawyers, and others. These groups have become an unprecedented movement that has built sufficient momentum to engender the current scope of events.

Tunisian revolution

Demonstrators in downtown Tunis on 14 January 2011

Main article: Tunisian revolution

Following the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid, a series of increasingly violent street demonstrations through December 2010 ultimately led to the ouster of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on 14 January 2011. The demonstrations were precipitated by high unemployment, food inflation, corruption, lack of freedom of speech and other forms of political freedom, and poor living conditions. The protests constituted the most dramatic wave of social and political unrest in Tunisia in three decades, and have resulted in scores of deaths and injuries, most of which were the result of action by police and security forces against demonstrators. Ben Ali fled into exile in Saudi Arabia, ending his 23 years in power.

Following Ben Ali's departure, a state of emergency was declared and a caretaker coalition government was created, which included members of Ben Ali's party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD), as well as opposition figures from other ministries. However, the five newly appointed non-RCD ministers resigned almost immediately. As a result of continued daily protests, on 27 January Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi reshuffled the government, removing all former RCD members other than himself, and on 6 February the former ruling party was suspended; later, on 9 March, it was dissolved. Following further public protests, Ghannouchi himself resigned on 27 February, and Beji Caid el Sebsi became Prime Minister.

Egyptian revolution

Main article: 2011 Egyptian revolution

See also: Supreme Council of the Armed Forces § Actions

Celebrations in Tahrir Square after Omar Suleiman's statement concerning Hosni Mubarak's resignation

Following the uprising in Tunisia and prior to his entry as a central figure in Egyptian politics, potential presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei warned of a 'Tunisia-style explosion' in Egypt.

Protests in Egypt began on 25 January and ran for 18 days. Beginning around midnight on 28 January, the Egyptian government attempted, somewhat successfully, to eliminate the nation's internet access, in order to inhibit the protesters' ability to organize through social media. Later that day, as tens of thousands protested on the streets of Egypt's major cities, President Mubarak dismissed his government, later appointing a new cabinet. Mubarak also appointed the first Vice President in almost 30 years. On 2 February, pro-Mubarak activists led a counter-protest that turned violent. Many international journalists complained of harassment and one local journalist was killed in the protests.

On 10 February, Mubarak ceded all presidential power to Vice President Omar Suleiman, but soon thereafter announced that he would remain as President until the end of his term. However, protests continued the next day, and Suleiman quickly announced that Mubarak had resigned from the presidency and transferred power to the Armed Forces of Egypt. The military immediately dissolved the Egyptian Parliament, suspended the Constitution of Egypt, and promised to lift the nation's thirty-year "emergency laws". It further promised to hold free, open elections within the next six months, or by the end of the year at the latest. A civilian, Essam Sharaf, was appointed as Prime Minister of Egypt on 4 March to widespread approval among Egyptians in Tahrir Square. Protests have continued through July 2011, however, in response to Sharaf and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces' perceived sluggishness in instituting reforms.

Libyan civil war

Egyptian youth at a Benghazi rally supporting the Libyan protests in February 2011

Main article: 2011 Libyan civil war

The protest began in Libya, after the success of the revolution of Tunisia and went out the first demonstration to protest living conditions in the city of Al Bayda on 14 / January, and protesters clashed with police and attacked government offices. Anti-government protests began in Libya on 15 February 2011. By 18 February, the opposition controlled most of Benghazi, the country's second-largest city. The government dispatched elite troops and mercenaries in an attempt to recapture it, but they were repelled. By 20 February, protests had spread to the capital Tripoli, leading to a television address by Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, who warned the protestors that their country could descend into civil war. The rising death toll, which currently numbers in the thousands, was drawing international condemnation, resulting in the resignation of several Libyan diplomats and their call for the regime's dismantlement.

On 26 February 2011, amidst ongoing efforts by demonstrators and rebel forces to wrest control of Tripoli from the jamahiriya, the opposition set up an interim government in Benghazi to oppose Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi's rule. However, despite initial opposition success, government forces subsequently took back much of the Mediterranean coast.

On 17 March, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 was adopted, authorising a no-fly zone over Libya, and "all necessary measures" to protect civilians. Two days later, France, the United States and the United Kingdom intervened in Libya with a bombing campaign against pro-Gaddafi forces. A coalition of 27 states from Europe and the Middle East soon joined the intervention. The forces were driven back from the outskirts of Benghazi, and the rebels mounted an offensive, capturing scores of towns across the coast of Libya. The offensive stalled however, and a counter-offensive by the government retook most of the towns, until a stalemate was formed between Brega and Ajdabiya, the former being held by the government and the latter in the hands of the rebels. Focus then shifted to the west of the country, where bitter fighting continued. After a three-month-long battle, a loyalist siege of rebel-held Misrata, the third largest city in Libya, was broken in large part due to coalition air strikes. The three major fronts of combat are generally considered to be the Nafusa Mountains (also known as the Western Mountains), Misrata District, and the Gulf of Sidra, though a fourth front may have opened as of late July 2011 in the southern Libyan Desert.

Syrian uprising

Main article: 2011 Syrian uprising

File:Syria Damascus Douma Protests 2011 - 22.jpg

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Douma, suburb of Damascus.

Protests in Syria started on 26 January, when one case of self-immolation was reported. Protesters have been calling for political reforms and the reinstatement of civil rights, as well as an end to the state of emergency which has been in place since 1963. A "day of rage" was set for 4–5 February, but it was uneventful.

Thousands of protestors gathered in Damascus, Aleppo, al-Hasakah, Daraa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hama on 15 March, with recently released politician Suhair Atassi becoming an unofficial spokesperson for the 'Syrian revolution'. The next day there were reports of approximately 3000 arrests and a few 'martyrs', but there are no official figures on the number of deaths. Protests have continued through July 2011, with the government responding with harsh security clampdowns and military operations in several districts, especially in the north.

Yemeni uprising

Main article: 2011 Yemeni uprising

Protesters in Sana'a on 3 February.

Protests occurred in many towns in both the north and south of Yemen starting in mid-January. Demonstrators initially protested against governmental proposals to modify the constitution of Yemen, unemployment and economic conditions, and corruption, but their demands soon included a call for the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been facing internal opposition from his closest advisors since 2009. A major demonstration of over 16,000 protesters took place in Sana'a on 27 January, and soon thereafter human rights activist and politician Tawakel Karman called for a "Day of Rage" on 3 February. According to Xinhua News, organizers were calling for a million protesters. In response to the planned protest, Ali Abdullah Saleh stated that he would not seek another presidential term in 2013.

On 3 February, 20,000 protesters demonstrated against the government in Sana'a, others participated in a "Day of Rage" in Aden that was called for by Tawakel Karman, while soldiers, armed members of the General People's Congress, and many protestors held a pro-government rally in Sana'a. Concurrent with the resignation of Egyptian president Mubarak, Yemenis again took to the streets protesting President Saleh on 11 February, in what has been dubbed a "Friday of Rage". The protests continued in the days following despite clashes with government advocates. In a "Friday of Anger" held on 18 February, tens of thousands of Yemenis took part in anti-government demonstrations in the major cities of Sana'a, Taiz, and Aden. In the capital, Sana'a, the crowd marched towards the Presidential Palace, chanting anti-government slogans, despite the attempts of riot police to stop them. Three people were killed in the demonstrations, one of whom was killed by a hand grenade in Taiz. There were also reports of gunfire in Aden during a rally, and as the riots continued overnight protesters set fire to a local government building. Security forces killed one demonstrator, and killed another demonstrator during protests the following day. Protests continued over the following months, especially in the three major cities, and briefly intensified in late May into urban warfare between Hashid tribesmen and army defectors allied with the opposition on one side and security forces and militias loyal to Saleh on the other.

After Saleh agreed to accept a Gulf Cooperation Council-brokered plan allowing him to cede power in exchange for immunity only to back away before signing three separate times, an assassination attempt on 3 June left him and several other high-ranking Yemeni officials injured by a blast in the presidential compound's mosque. Saleh was evacuated to Saudi Arabia for treatment, but he handed over power to Vice President Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi, who has largely continued his policies and ordered the arrest of several Yemenis in connection with the attack on the presidential compound. It is unclear whether Saleh will return from Saudi Arabia or when he might do so, but he appeared briefly on television from Riyadh to address the Yemeni people on 7 July. Protests have continued in his absence and are ongoing as of July 2011.

Concurrent incidents

Concurrent with the events in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen, protests flared up in other parts of the region, some of them becoming violent, some of them facing strong suppression efforts, and some of them resulting in various political changes.

Algeria

Main article: 2010–2011 Algerian protests

8 January protests in Algeria.

On 29 December, protests began in Algiers over the lack of housing, quickly escalating to violent confrontations with the police. At least 53 people were reported injured and another 29 arrested. Over the course of the Algerian protests, three demonstrators were killed, over 800 were injured, and at least 1,100 were arrested. From 12–19 January, a wave of self-immolation attempts swept the country, beginning with Mohamed Aouichia, who set himself on fire in Bordj Menaiel in protest at his family's housing. On 13 January, Mohsen Bouterfif set himself on fire after a meeting with the mayor of Boukhadra in Tebessa, who had been unable to offer Bouterfif a job and a house. Bouterfif reportedly died a few days later, and about 100 youths protested his death, resulting in the mayor's dismissal by the provincial governor. At least ten other self-immolation attempts were reported that week. On 22 January, the RCD party organised a demonstration for democracy in Algiers, and though illegal under the State of Emergency enacted in 1992, it was attended by about 300 people. The demonstration was suppressed by police, with 42 reported injuries. On 29 January, at least ten thousand people marched in the northeastern city of Béjaïa.

In an apparent bid to stave off unrest, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced on 3 February that the 19-year state of emergency would be lifted, a promise fulfilled on 22 February when Algeria's cabinet adopted an order to lift the state of emergency. Bouteflika said on 15 April that he would seek revisions to the country's constitution as part of a broad push for democratic reforms.

Bahrain

Main article: 2011 Bahraini uprising

Thousands of demonstrators gather for "National demands: An elected government" rally in Karrana, Bahrain on July, 8

The 2011 protests in Bahrain were initially aimed at achieving greater political freedom and respect for human rights, and were not intended to threaten the monarchy. Lingering frustration among the Shiite majority with being ruled by the Sunni government was a major root cause, but the protests in Tunisia and Egypt are cited as the inspiration for the demonstrations. The protests began in Bahrain on 14 February and were largely peaceful, until a raid by police on the night of 17 February against protestors sleeping at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama, in which police killed three protestors. Following the deadly raid, the protestors' aims expanded to a call for the end of the monarchy. On 18 February, government forces opened fire on protesters, mourners, and news journalists, prompting protesters to begin calling for the overthrow of the Bahraini monarchy and government. On 19 February, protesters occupied Pearl Square after the government ordered troops and police to withdraw. On 22 February, an estimated one hundred thousand people, one fifth of the nation's population, marched. On 14 March, at the request of the Crown Prince, GCC Saudi Arabian troops entered the country, and opened fire on the protesters, several of whom were killed. Later thousands of Shia protesters arose in Iraq and Qatif in opposition to the Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa declared a three-month state of emergency on 15 March and asked the military to reassert its control as clashes spread across the country. It was later lifted on 1 June 2011. On 16 March 2011, the protesters' camp in the Pearl Roundabout was evacuated, bulldozed, and set on fire by the Bahraini Defense Force, riot police, and the Peninsula Shield Force, the military arm of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which intervened reportedly at King Hamad's behest. Later on 18 March, the Pearl Roundabout monument was torn down as part of the crackdown on protesters.

Since the lifting of emergency law on 1 June, several large rallies have been staged by the Shi'ite community demanding the release of detained protesters, greater political representation, and an end to sectarian discrimination. As of July 2011, medical personnel are being prosecuted for treating injured protesters, and several human rights groups and news organizations have alleged they have been deliberately targeted by the Bahraini government.

Iraq

Main article: 2011 Iraqi protests

In an effort to prevent unrest, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced that he would not run for a third term in 2014. Nevertheless, hundreds of protesters gathered in several major urban areas (notably Baghdad and Karbala) on 12 February, demanding a more effective approach to national security, to the investigation of federal corruption cases, as well as increased government involvement in making public services fair and accessible. In response, the government promised to subsidize electricity costs.

Israel's Haaretz reported that a 31-year-old man in Mosul died from self-immolation, while protesting high unemployment. Haaretz also reported a planned 'Revolution of Iraqi Rage' to be held on 25 February near the Green Zone.

On 16 February, up to 2,000 protesters took over a provincial council building in the city of Kut. The protesters demanded that the provincial governor resign because of the lack of basic services such as electricity and water. As many as three people were killed and 30 injured. On 24 February, Hawijah, Mosul, and Baghdad featured violent protests.

Jordan

Main article: 2011 Jordanian protests

On 14 January, protests commenced in the capital Amman, as well as at Ma'an, Al Karak, Salt and Irbid, and others. The protests, led by trade unionists and leftist parties, occurred after Friday prayers, and called for the government of Prime Minister Samir Rifai to step down. The Muslim Brotherhood and 14 trade unions said that they would hold a sit-down protest outside parliament the next day to "denounce government economic policies". Following the protest, the government reversed a rise in fuel prices, but 5,000 protested on 21 January in Amman despite this effort to alleviate Jordan's economic misery.

On 1 February, the Royal Palace announced that King Abdullah had dismissed the government on account of the street protests, and had asked Marouf al-Bakhit, a former army general, to form a new Cabinet. King Abdullah charged Bakhit to "take quick, concrete and practical steps to launch a genuine political reform process". The monarch added that the reforms should put Jordan on the path "to strengthen democracy", and provide Jordanians with the "dignified life they deserve". This move did not end protests, however, which peaked with a rally of between 6,000 and 10,000 Jordanians on 25 February. A protest camp led by students calling for democratic reforms was established on 24 March in Gamal Abdel Nasser Circle in downtown Amman, but at least one person was killed and over 100 injured the next day after pro-government vigilantes clashed with the protesters in the camp, forcing police to intervene. These clashes and belated police interventions have become a hallmark of the Jordanian protests, with a major rally in central Amman planned for 15 July being derailed by belligerent regime supporters. As of July 2011, protests are ongoing.

Morocco

Main article: 2011 Moroccan protests

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Casablanca.

Inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt, at least four Moroccans set themselves on fire on 30 January 2011 at a protest gathering in Tangier. According to a media report, Moroccan authorities approved the anti-government protest that was planned through the popular social networking site Facebook. The same report said that the government had welcomed the plan by several Moroccan youth movements to organize an Egypt-style anti-government protest on 20 February.

On 20 February, at least 37,000 Moroccans rallied in the capital, Rabat, to demand that King Mohammed relinquish some of his power. The protests were not aimed at overthrowing the king, however, as he remains revered by Moroccans Everything calmed down for about a week following the demonstration, but on 26 February about 1000 demonstrators gathered in Casablanca to demand political reform.

On 9 March, in a live televised address, King Mohammed VI announced that he would begin a comprehensive constitutional reform aimed at improving democracy and the rule of law. He promised to form a commission to work on constitutional revisions, which would make proposals to him by June, after which a referendum would be held on the draft constitution.

On 20 March, at least 20,000 people, including many Islamists, participated in peaceful protests in more than 60 cities across the nation. Some of the demonstrators demanded greater political change than what King Mohammed had promised in his 9 March address, while others continued pressuring the government to make the promised reforms. The police did not intervene and no violent acts were reported.

Oman

Main article: 2011 Omani protests

Protesters set ablaze Lulu Hypermarket in Sohar, Oman on 28 February 2011

In the Gulf country of Oman, 200 protesters marched on 17 January 2011, demanding salary increases and a lower cost of living. The protest shocked some journalists who generally view Oman as a 'politically stable and sleepy country'. Renewed protests occurred on 18 February, with 350 protesters demanding an end to corruption and better distribution of oil revenue. Some protesters also carried signs with slogans of support for the Sultan.

On 26 February, protesters in Sohar called for more jobs. On the following day, tensions escalated with protesters burning shops and cars. The police responded using tear gas to contain and disperse the crowds of protesters. Demonstrations also spread to the region of Salalah, where protesters had reportedly been camping outside the provincial governor's house since 25 February. In Sohar, witnesses claimed that two protesters were killed when police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. Witnesses further reported that protesters burnt a police station as well as the Wali's house (where the representative of the Sultan to Sohar stays). The Omani protesters insisted that they were not challenging the rule of Sultan Qaboos, who has been in power since 1970, but were merely calling for jobs and reform. The protesters even apologized to the Sultan for allowing violence rattle the city of Sohar on 28 February 2011.

The Sultan continued with his reform campaign by dissolving the Ministry of National Economy, setting up a state audit committee, granting student and unemployment benefits, dismissing scores of ministers, and reshuffling his cabinet three times. In addition, nearly 50,000 jobs are being created in the public sector, including 10,000 new jobs in the Royal Oman Police.) The Omani Ministry of Manpower has furthermore directed various companies (both private and public) to formulate their own employment plans. The Royal Army of Oman has also initiated employment drives by publishing recruitment advertisements in newspapers, etc. The government's efforts largely placated protesters, and Oman has not seen significant demonstrations since May 2011, when increasingly violent protests in Salalah were subdued.

Saudi Arabia

Main article: 2011 Saudi Arabian protests

Poster for the Saudi Arabia's #women2drive Movement, artwork by Carlos Latuff

In Saudi Arabia hundreds of people protested against the poor infrastructure in Jeddah following flooding. At the same time, an online campaign began calling for major political and economic changes. On 5 February, forty women demonstrated for the release of prisoners held without trial. Several protests of a few hundred demonstrators each took place in late February, and also in early March in the north-east, mostly in Qatif but also in Hofuf, in al-Awamiyah, as well as in Riyadh. Security in the north-east was tightened on 5 March, and a 'significant' police presence in Riyadh and Jeddah prevented protests from occurring on 11 March. A day earlier, three protesters were injured by police gunfire in Qatif. Nonetheless, protests calling for the release of prisoners took place outside the Ministry of the Interior in Riyadh on 12 March.

Following the crackdown during the 2011 Bahraini uprising, frequent demonstrations of a few hundred to a few thousand people occurred in and around Qatif from 15 to 25 March, which demanded the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of the Peninsula Shield Force from Bahrain. On 22–23 March, men-only municipal elections to elect half the members of local councils were announced for 22 September 2011.

On June 17, the anti-government movement "Women2Drive" has organized a drive-in to demand fairer treatment of women in the country. It was sparked by the arrest and imprisonment of Manal al-Sharif for driving a vehicle with another woman. al-Sharif has been called a modern Rosa Parks. Reports of desperation within the government surfaced as the rally is expected to highlight one of the worst gender rights' regimes in the world. On June 9, several women were arrested north of Riyadh for practicing in a parking lot. On June 15, female drivers in the United States have organized a protest in solidarity with Saudi women, planning to encircle the Saudi embassy in Foggy Bottom. During the month three females from Minnesota, supported by an advocacy group, announced a gender discrimination complaint against the kingdom's livery services in Rochester to coincide with the "Women2Drive" campaign.

Others

 • In Kuwait, the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, gave every citizen [1.12 million people] 'free food rations and a grant of $4,000 [1,000 dinars]'. Officially the grant was in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Kuwait's liberation from occupying Iraqi forces, as well as of the 50th anniversary of the state's independence. Dozens of Bedouns demonstrated in Kuwait on 19 February and opposition groups called for protests on 8 March.

In June, hundreds of Kuwaitis marched in an anti-government protest, calling for the resignation of the prime minister. A 10-year old Egyptian boy named Bassem, whose father is an academic at Kuwait University, was expelled from education in the country for asking "Why didn't you have a revolution in your country?" Accused of inciting a revolution, the expulsion sparked an outcry, resulting in his reinstatement later that month. Soon thereafter, reports surfaced of a crisis growing in the country as a rebellious parliament stepped up pressure on the ruling family over allegations of mismanagement of public funds, corruption and inefficiency.

 • In Lebanon, hundreds or protesters rallied in Beirut on 27 February in a march referred to as "The Laique pride", calling for reform of the country's confessional political system. At the same time, a peaceful sit-in took place in Saida. On 13 March, tens of thousands of supporters of the March 14 coalition called for the disarmament of Hezbollah in Beirut, rejecting the supremacy of Hezbollah's weapons over political life. They also showed support for the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) after the fall of the Hariri government and the creation of the Mikati government.

 • In Mauritania, Yacoub Ould Dahoud, a protester, burned himself near the Presidential Palace on 17 January, in opposition to the policies of Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. The following week, hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital Nouakchott. The mayor of the city of Awjeft, Mohamed El Moctar Ould Ehmeyen Amar, resigned from the ruling party to politically support what he called "the just cause of youngsters". In addition to the capital Noukchott, cities such as Atar, Zouerate, and Aleg also organised sporadic protests. Despite minor economic concessions by the authorities, on 25 April protesters again took to the streets to call for the resignation of the prime-minister, Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf.

 • In Qatar, a campaign called "The Freedom Revolution, March 16, Qatar" has been launched on Facebook calling for a revolution against the regime of Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. However, on 28 February 2011, all the content of the main page of the revolution was deleted and replaced with content in support of the emir. However there were no reports of major protests taking place. the Qatari media claims that the call for a Qatari Revolution was created by Pro-Assad Syrians against Al-Jazeera for its negative reports against Bashar Al-Assad's crackdown.

 • In Sudan, protests took place on 30 January and 1 February, when hundreds called for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to step down. On 21 February, President Omar al-Bashir announced that he would not seek to run in the next presidential election (in 2015).

 • In the United Arab Emirates, a group of intellectuals petitioned their ruler for comprehensive reform of the Federal National Council, including demands for universal suffrage. About 160 people signed the petition, many of whom were academics and former members of the FNC. On 12 April, Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent blogger and pro-democracy activist, was charged with possession of alcohol. According to his lawyer, two other men, a blogger and a political commentator, were detained a few days earlier, a charge denied by the police. In May, the government started expanding its network of surveillance cameras, as a preventive measure against revolts. In June, Mansoor and 4 other reform activists pleaded not guilty to insulting the ruling family after being charged.

 • In the Palestinian Territories, Haaretz suggested that an announcement by the Palestinian Authority on 1 February to hold municipal elections in July was a reaction to the anti-government protests in Egypt. On 14 February, amid pan-Arab calls for reform, the Palestinian Authority's Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, submitted his resignation along with that of his cabinet to President Abbas. After consultations with other factions, institutions, and civil society groups, Abbas asked him to form a new government. The reshuffle had long been demanded by Fayyad as well as members of Abbas's Fatah faction.

 • In Western Sahara, young Sahrawis held a series of minor demonstrations to protest labour discrimination, lack of jobs, looting of resources, and human rights abuses. Although protests from February 2011 onward were related to a series of Sahrawi demonstrations that originated in October 2010 and died down the following month, protesters cited inspiration from the events in other parts of the region. A few academics, notably Noam Chomsky, viewed the October protests as the starting point from which 'the current wave of protests actually began'.

Analysis

Ethnic scope

Many analysts, journalists, and involved parties have focused on the protests as being a uniquely Arab phenomenon, and indeed, protests and uprisings have been strongest and most wide-reaching in majority-Arab countries, giving rise to the popular moniker of Arab Spring—a play on the so-called 1968 Prague Spring, a democratic awakening in what was then communist Czechoslovakia—to refer to protests, uprisings, and revolutions in those states. However, the international media has also noted the role of minority groups in many of these majority-Arab countries in the revolts.

In Tunisia, the country's small Jewish minority was initially divided by protests against Ben Ali and the government, but eventually came to identify with the protesters in opposition to the regime, according to the group's president, who described Jewish Tunisians as "part of the revolution". The Coptic minority in Egypt was similarly divided by the protests, with Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria calling for them to end but a number of Coptic Christians choosing to join in demonstrations against the regime with their Muslim compatriots, a fact that did not go unnoticed by reporters and commentators.

In Morocco, through a series of constitutional reforms, passed through a national referendum on 1 July, among other things, the Berber language was made an official language alongside Arabic. During the civil war in Libya, one major theater of combat has been the western Nafusa Mountains, where the indigenous Berbers have taken up arms against the regime while supporting an interim government based in the majority-Arab eastern half of the country. Hundreds of non-Arab Darfuris have joined anti-government protests in northern Sudan. In Iraq and Syria, the ethnic Kurdish minority has been involved in protests against the government, including the Kurdistan Regional Government in the former's Kurdish-majority north, where at least one attempted self-immolation was reported.

Impact of the Arab Spring

Main article: Impact of the Arab Spring

The regional unrest has not been limited to countries of the Arab world. The early success of uprisings in North Africa inspired disenchanted people in the Middle Eastern states of Iran and Turkey to take to the streets and agitate for reforms. These protests, especially those in Iran, are considered by many commentators to be part of the same wave that began in Tunisia and has gripped the broader Middle Eastern and North African regions, even though those countries are not Arab-majority states and most of the protesters therein are not Arab, as exemplified by the Kurdish protests in Turkey.

In the countries of the neighboring South Caucasus—namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia—as well as some countries in Europe, including Albania, Croatia, and Spain; countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Burkina Faso, Djibouti, and Uganda; and countries in other parts of Asia, including the Maldives and the People's Republic of China, demonstrators and opposition figures claiming inspiration from the examples of Tunisia and Egypt have staged their own popular protests.

Impact on the Arab–Israeli conflict

Main article: 2011 Israeli border demonstrations

See also: Arab–Israeli conflict

Free Palestine rally in Cairo

Inspired by the uprisings and revolutions taking place in the Arab world, Palestinians used Facebook to call for mass protests throughout the region on 15 May 2011, Nakba Day. A page calling for a "Third Palestinian Intifada" to begin on 15 May garnered more than 350,000 "likes" before being taken down by Facebook managers at the end of March after complaints from the Israeli government that the page encouraged violence. The page called for mass marches to Palestine from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to commemorate the Nakba and demand the right of return for all Palestinian refugees. Palestinians from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank attempted to reach and cross the Israeli border. However, they were all stopped and 12 were shot and killed by Israeli security forces. Lebanese armed forces also made efforts, including the use of live fire according to some reports, to stop protestors from approaching the Israeli border. Almost 300 people were injured, including 13 Israeli soldiers. There were also clashes across the annexed east Jerusalem.

On 5 June, 23 Syrian demonstrators were killed and hundreds injured by Israeli forces after entering the Golan Heights to protest the controversial Israeli occupation of the territory. Included among the dead was an unarmed 12-year old boy. In the aftermath, thousands began a sit-in near the Golan Heights, resulting in the Syrian government creating a security buffer zone to prevent more demonstrators from approaching the border. Lebanese President Michel Sleiman accused Israel of genocide over the incident, U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights Navanethem Pillay condemned the Israeli Defense Force's use of force against the allegedly unarmed, civilian protesters, and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party called for an international response to the incident, calling it a "massacre". An IDF spokeswoman called the Golan Heights violence "an attempt to divert international attention from the bloodbath going on in Syria." Several days later, The Daily Telegraph reported that leaked Syrian state documents seemed to support Israel's claim that the Syrian government orchestrated the Nakba Day protests as a deliberate provocation to distract from the ongoing uprising in Syria proper.

International reactions

Main article: International reactions to the Arab Spring

Protests in many countries affected by the Arab Spring have attracted widespread support from the international community, while harsh government responses have generally met condemnation. In the case of the Bahraini, Moroccan, and Syrian protests, the international response has been considerably more nuanced.

Some critics have accused Western governments, including those of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, of hypocrisy in the way they have reacted to the Arab Spring. Noam Chomsky accused the Obama administration of endeavoring to muffle the revolutionary wave and stifle popular democratization efforts in the Middle East.

Protests have also affected oil prices, contributing to the 2011 energy crisis. The International Monetary Fund said oil prices were likely to be higher than originally forecast due to unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, major regions of oil production.

See also

• Arab Revolt: uprising by Arabs against the Ottoman Empire during World War I (1916–18)
• Civil resistance
• List of modern conflicts in the Middle East
• List of modern conflicts in North Africa
• List of ongoing military conflicts
• Spring (political terminology)
• Revolutionary wave
• Revolutions of 1989: began with changes in Poland and eventually led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union
• Revolutions of 1848: Series of popular rebellions beginning with the French Revolution of 1848, then spreading throughout Europe
• People Power Revolution: became the inspiration of the Revolutions of 1989
• Freedom in the World
• List of freedom indices
• Middle East and North Africa in turmoil – Tracking the Protests. Chart provided by the Washington Post to keep up day by day with all of the anti-government protests which as off May 2011 are spreading rapidly through the Middle East and North Africa.

Further reading

• Browers, Michaelle (2009). Political Ideology in the Arab World: Accommodation and Transformation. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-76532-9.
• Gardner, David (2009). Last Chance: The Middle East in the Balance. London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84885-041-5.
• Goldstone, Jack A.; Hazel, John T., Jr. (14 April 2011). "Understanding the Revolutions of 2011: Weakness and Resilience in Middle Eastern Autocracies". Foreign Affairs.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Kaye, Dalia Dassa; et al. (2008). More Freedom, Less Terror? Liberalization and Political Violence in the Arab World. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. ISBN 978-0-8330-4508-9. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last2= (help)
• Ottaway, Marina; Choucair-Vizoso, Julia, eds. (2008). Beyond the Façade: Political Reform in the Arab World. Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ISBN 978-0-87003-239-4.
• Pelletreau, Robert H. (24 February 2011). "Transformation in the Middle East: Comparing the Uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain". Foreign Affairs.
• Phares, Walid (2010). Coming Revolution: Struggle for Freedom in the Middle East. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1439178379.
• Posusney, Marsha Pripstein; Angrist, Michele Penner, eds. (2005). Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Regimes and Resistance. Boulder: Lynne Rienner. ISBN 1-58826-317-7.

External links

• Middle East at Aljazeera English
• Middle East protests at BBC News
• Arab and Middle East protests live blog at The Guardian
• Middle East Protests at The Lede blog at The New York Times
• Middle East protests live at Reuters
• Middle East protests collected news and commentary at The Financial Times
  • Arab spring: an interactive timeline of Middle East protests, The Guardian
• Rage on the Streets collected news and commentary at Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review
• Middle East Unrest collected news and commentary at The National
• "The Arab Revolution collected news and commentary". Der Spiegel.
• Unrest in the Arab World collected news and commentary at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• The Middle East in Revolt collected news and commentary at Time
• Issue Guide: Arab World Protests, Council on Foreign Relations, February 16, 2011
• The Shoe Thrower's index, An index of unrest in the Arab world, The Economist, February 9, 2011
• Interview with Tariq Ramadan: "We Need to Get a Better Sense of the Trends within Islamism", Qantara.de, 2 February 2011
• Arab Revolution Video Blog
• Tracking the wave of protests with statistics, RevolutionTrends.org
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