200 Tunisians were wounded by police in protest

**hellheaven1987** · November 28, 2012, 11:15 PM

More than 200 people have been wounded in a second day of clashes in the Tunisian town of Siliana, medical officials have said.

Security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters demanding jobs, with reports of people also being treated for gunshot wounds.

Trade unions have called for further protests on Thursday.

Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, deposing its long-time president in January 2011.

What worries me, however, is the article mentions the economic situation of Tunisia is getting even worse after revolution and the unemployed rate skyrocks, which disappoints many Tunisians.

During a brief television appearance on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali rejected protesters' calls for him to step down, saying: "This governor is not quitting."

The BBC's Sihem Hassaini in the capital, Tunis, says the unrest in Siliana is the latest in a series of protests by people disappointed by the lack of progress following the revolution.

Since the uprising which overthrew Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali unemployment has gone up - and according to official figures stands at about 18%

Source

With the emerge of Salafism in Tunisia, I am worried that the current situation of Tunisia, which goes from bad to worse, would push many Tunisians to seek radical policies as solution, and at worst, results the instability of whole region. Hopefully such thing, which saw in many revolutions in the past, would not happen in Tunisia in near future.

**AqD** · November 29, 2012, 12:34 PM

People who believe democracy can fix economy are just clueless. They can bring down the current government and the next and then next, until there is nobody left they can put on the president's seat.

Too bad I cannot travel there anymore

**Plan C** · November 30, 2012, 05:30 AM

Originally Posted by aqd

People who believe democracy can fix economy are just clueless. They can bring down the current government and the next and then next, until there is nobody left they can put on the president's seat.

Too bad I cannot travel there anymore

Sadly it is us who have misunderstood the reasons for Tunisian "revolution" which kicked off the so-called Arab Spring.

As with the vast majority of popular movement it began when people had nothing to lose on economical level; quite simply redistribution of wealth was seen to be insufficient with elite scrounging hundreds of millions off the nation and living lavish lives while simple people were not allowed to prosper.

Western media immediately portrayed this struggle as stemming from the desire for "freedom" which removes the root cause of discontent from view entirely.

Tunisian riots weren't for the sole purpose of gaining representation. Representation was supposed to be the means of gaining fairer wealth distribution which never came as far as I know.

**~~sabaku_no_gaara~~** · November 30, 2012, 05:32 AM

Originally Posted by Brick Top

Sadly it is us who have misunderstood the reasons for Tunisian "revolution" which kicked off the so-called Arab Spring.

As with the vast majority of popular movement it began when people had nothing to lose on economical level; quite simply redistribution of wealth was seen to be insufficient with elite scrounging hundreds of millions off the nation and living lavish lives while simple people were not allowed to prosper.

Western media immediately portrayed this struggle as stemming from the desire for "freedom" which removes the root cause of discontent from view entirely.

Tunisian riots weren't for the sole purpose of gaining representation. Representation was supposed to be the means of gaining fairer wealth distribution which never came as far as I know.

All revolutions start out as hunger revolutions, it's the leaders who later market it as a glorious revolution for glorious ideal X

I don't understand why modern media still believes the whole "we love freedom thus we revolt crap "

**hellheaven1987** · November 29, 2012, 09:07 PM

Whatever it is, we don't need an unstable Tunisia now.

**Heinz Guderian** · December 07, 2012, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by hellheaven1987

Whatever it is, we don't need an unstable Tunisia now.

i agree. The salt needs to flow. I remember reading in Time Magazine that some stupid Americans wanted to air drop Americans soldiers to secure the mines if things went tits up. It would be the same soldiers from the CoD games. I forget the name.

**Col. Tartleton** · November 29, 2012, 09:32 PM

Rioters seeking to overthrow the newly elected government, less than a year old, are taken care of by the police.

Isn't this good news?

I mean I'm not exactly a fan of Jebali, but he's pacifying the even more radical factions as he should be.

**Liamgamer55** · November 30, 2012, 07:24 AM

Most of modern media... and by most I mean 95%.

**hellheaven1987** · December 05, 2012, 06:11 PM

Moderate Islamists attack protestors

Tunisian pro-government supporters have clashed with unionists a week after protests over rising unemployment.

Islamists attacked members of the General Tunisian Workers' Union (UGTT) in the capital, Tunis, with knives and sticks, eyewitnesses told Reuters.

Last week, more than 200 strikers were wounded in violent clashes with police in the town of Siliana.

Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, deposing its long-time president in January 2011.

The moderate Islamist party Ennahda was elected following the overthrow of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.

Since the uprising, unemployment has gone up - and according to official figures stands at about 18%.

Source

Apartly moderate Islamism is besieged by Salafists and Leftists now.

**motiv-8** · December 05, 2012, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by Brick Top

Tunisian riots weren't for the sole purpose of gaining representation. Representation was supposed to be the means of gaining fairer wealth distribution which never came as far as I know.

Yeah, that was part of it, but really the revolution was about a large swath of things, and no it wasn't misunderstood by Western media at all. It is about freedom. Freedom of expression. The freedom to open a newspaper and say and report what you want. The freedom to be openly religious without official harassment. The freedom to participate in the political process. The freedom of employment. The freedom to open a business. The freedom to own all sorts of property. The freedom of social mobility. Freedom from endemic and institutionalized corruption, of the sort that moved Muhammad Bouizizi to set himself on fire. His experience encapsulated everything that was wrong and everything that the revolutionaries wanted to remove. All the things I listed have been partially or wholly lacking under previous regimes.

After all, the French Revolution might have been sparked by a group of women pissed off at the price of bread, but that doesn't change the realities behind the slogan Liberty, Egality, Faternity.

Now we're seeing what observers have predicted all along -- long suppressed Islamist politics being given a hand at governing, and realizing that it's a lot easier to be in the opposition than it is being in the Big House.

**Plan C** · December 07, 2012, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by motiv-8

Yeah, that was part of it, but really the revolution was about a large swath of things, and no it wasn't misunderstood by Western media at all. It is about freedom. Freedom of expression. The freedom to open a newspaper and say and report what you want. The freedom to be openly religious without official harassment. The freedom to participate in the political process. The freedom of employment. The freedom to open a business. The freedom to own all sorts of property. The freedom of social mobility. Freedom from endemic and institutionalized corruption, of the sort that moved Muhammad Bouizizi to set himself on fire. His experience encapsulated everything that was wrong and everything that the revolutionaries wanted to remove. All the things I listed have been partially or wholly lacking under previous regimes.

After all, the French Revolution might have been sparked by a group of women pissed off at the price of bread, but that doesn't change the realities behind the slogan Liberty, Egality, Faternity.

Now we're seeing what observers have predicted all along -- long suppressed Islamist politics being given a hand at governing, and realizing that it's a lot easier to be in the opposition than it is being in the Big House.

I think we agree on principle (like probably most things) but will have different view of details.

**Prosaic Visitant** · December 07, 2012, 03:08 AM

I don't know what the people above are whining about because news outlets here specified, at least the ones I viewed, that the protestors had economic issues that they wished to be resolved, among other things.