The Tunisian Troubles

Tunisia has a reputation for stability, but also a reputation for firm police repression of dissent. The stability has often been a side-effect of comparative economic prosperity for a non-oil-producing country, but the global economic downturn has taken its toll, and for the first time in years we've been seeing protests recently in the country.

Most have been in the Sidi Bouzid region in central Tunisia, where at least one protester has been killed, but demonstrations have also occurred in the capital. It may be the most extensive popular protests since the late Bourguiba years in the 1980s. An apparent suicide and an attempted one were among the sparks that set it off.

Tunisian media is tame, and foreign media seem to be having troubles reporting beyond Tunis, but there is, of course, new media. Among them: the Nawaa website, posting news, videos, and the map of purported outbreaks I reproduce here; its posts are mostly Arabic, some French, with a French roundup of news here. There's a collection called tunisians on Vimeo with posted videos; another set of videos on YouTube; and of course, a #sidibouzid hashtag on Twitter.

The usual problems that can be expected when rumors are the main source of information can be found on such sites, claims that some police have sided with the demonstrators, even speculation the government might fall, should be met with caution. Anyone who followed social media during the Tehran troubles of 2009 will know how hard it can be to deal with a determined security apparatus.

The week between Christmas and New Year's is slow, and I was wondering if there'd be much to post about. I guess there will be.

UPDATE: The Moor Next Door on the subject.

UPDATE II: And via The Moor, I've discovered the blog A Tunisian Girl, which is covering the protests with posts in English, French, Arabic and German.