The Jasmine Revolution took place in January 2011 in Tunisia; Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was forced out of power by a popular uprising. It was successful in replacing an autocratic government with a stable democratic government. The demonstrations and Ben Ali’s removal inspired a series of uprisings especially in Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Syria which came to be known as the Arab Spring.
The environment in Tunisia was terrible; high unemployment rate and rampant police corruption plagued the country. The first demonstration occurred in Tunisia in December 2010. It was triggered by the self-immolation of a young man frustrated by Tunisia’s conditions. People rallied asking President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to step down. The voices of the rebellion spread throughout the country; the police often had to resort to violence to control the crowds.
The clashes between the police and protesters escalated. This was when Ben Ali announced a series of economic and political reforms. His attempt to end the uprising was unsuccessful. Demonstrations continued and Ben Ali was forced to flee the country.
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