Arab Spring

The Arab Spring is a great example of the power of social media uniting like-minded individuals. Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire on December 17, 2010 to protest against police harassment. This act quickly went viral and inspired protests throughout the Arab community. Protestors spoke out against authoritarianism, corruption, and poverty (Aljazeera 2020). By October 23, 2011 Tunisia held their first free election (Aljazeera 2020). Bouazizi’s act of courage inspired citizens who just needed the courage to speak out. With the help of social media Bouazizi’s act transcended state boundaries and inspired movements in Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, and Libya (just to name a few) which led to this movement being nicknamed “The Arab Spring”. 

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/17/what-is-the-arab-spring-and-how-did-it-start