The Arab Spring was a wave of pro-democracy protests and uprisings that began in December 2010 in Tunisia and spread across the Middle East and North Africa. Citizens protested against authoritarian regimes, government corruption, lack of human rights, poverty, and high unemployment. Protests led to the overthrow of dictators in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Other countries saw regime changes and reforms, but some protests were violently suppressed. Social media helped activists organize and spread awareness of non-violent resistance through protests, strikes and civil disobedience.

1. Arab
Spring
1

2. The Arab Spring
(or the Arab Revolutions) refers to the
recent revolutionary wave of
demonstrations and protests occurring
in the Arab world.
2

3. 3

4. • Democratic deficit:
dictatorship &
authoritarian
regimes
• Human rights
violations
• Government
corruption
• Economic turmoil
• A young, educated,
and idle populace
Causes
4

5. January 2011
Lebanon
1 2 J a n u a ry
L im ite d
2011
J o rd a n
1 4 J a n u a ry
O n g o in g
2011
▪ A 4 0 % in c re a s e in w a g e s
▪ C a lle d fo r p o litic a l re fo rm s o f
c o n fe s s io n a lis m
▪ P re s id e n t M ic h e l S u le im a n ’s
g o v e rn m e n t s u ffe re d fro m m u ltip le
re s ig n a tio n s
▪ N e w g o v e rn m e n t fo rm e d 1 3 J u n e
2011
▪ K in g A b d u lla h II d is m is s e s P rim e M in is te r
R ifa i a n d h is c a b in e t
▪ M o n th s la te r, A b d u lla h d is m is s e s P rim e
M in is te r B a k h it a n d h is c a b in e t a fte r
c o m p la in ts o f s lo w p ro g re s s o n
p ro m is e d re fo rm s
Protests and governmental changes
Protests and governmental changes
5

6. January cont’d
17
M a u rit J a n u a ry
a n ia
2011
Subdued
s in c e M a y
2011
17
S u d a n J a n u a ry
2011
Subdued
s in c e A p ril
2011
17
O m a n J a n u a ry
2011
Ended M ay
2011
• H u n d re d s o f p e o p le to o k to th e s tre e ts o f
N o u a k c h o tt
• F o llo w e d J a n u a ry 2 0 1 1 in d e p e n d e n c e
re fe re n d u m a b o u t S o u th S u d a n
• P ro te s ts in K h a rto u m a n d A l-U b a y y id
• S o c ia l m e d ia u s e d to s p re a d s ite s o f
p ro te s ts , e s p e c ia lly s tu d e n t p ro te s ts
• P re s id e n t O m a r a l-B a s h ir a n n o u n c e s h e w ill
n o t s e e k a n o th e r te rm in 2 0 1 5
• P ro te s to rs e m p h a s iz e a lle g ia n c e to th e
S u lta n
• P ro te s t c o rru p t o ffic ia ls
• E c o n o m ic c o n c e s s io n s b y S u lta n Q a b o o s
• In c re a s e d g o v e rn m e n t jo b s a n d m in im u m
wage
• D is m is s a l o f m in is te rs
• G ra n tin g o f la w m a k in g p o w e rs to O m a n 's
e le c te d le g is la tu re
Minor protests
Minor protests
Protests and governmental changes
6

7. January cont’d
Saudi
Arabia
Egypt
Yemen
21 January
2011
Sustained small
protests in Eastern
Saudi Arabia
25 January
2011
• Government
overthrown on 11
February 2011
• Protests ongoing
27 January
2011
• President signs
transition deal on
23 November 2011
• Protests ongoing
▪ Economic concessions by King Abdullah
▪ Male-only municipal elections held 29
September 2011 after women tried to
register as electors
▪ June 2011: 70 cases of women driving
cars was recorded
▪ King Abdullah announces women's
approval to vote and be elected in
2015 municipal elections and to be
nominated to the Shura Council
Overthrow of Hosni Mubarak; Mubarak
charged for killing protesters
▪ Resignation of Prime Minister(s) 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 16 April 2011
▪ Prosecution of Mubarak, his family and his
former ministers
Overthrow of Ali Abdullah Saleh; Saleh
flees to the United States
▪ Resignation of MPs from the ruling party
▪ On 4 June, President Ali Abdullah Saleh is
injured to Yemen
▪ On 22 January 2012, Saleh leaves power.
Minor protests
Government overthrown
Sustained civil disorder and governmental
changes
7

8. February 2011
Iraq
10 February Ended December
2011
2011
Bahrain
14 February
Ongoing
2011
Libya
• Government
overthrown on 23
15 February August 2011
2011
• War ended 23
October 2011
▪ Prime Minister Maliki announces that he
will not run for a 3rd term;
▪ Resignation of provincial governors and
local authorities
▪ Economic concessions by King Hamad bin
Isa al-Khalifa
▪ Release of political prisoners
▪ Negotiations with Shia representatives
▪ GCC intervention at the request of the
Government of Bahrain
▪ Head of the National Security Apparatus
removed from post
▪ “Black Thursday” night raid against
protestors at the Pearl Roundabout
▪ Formation of a committee to implement
BICI report recommendations
Overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi; Gaddafi
killed by NTC forces
▪ UN-mandated military intervention ended
with NATO withdrawal
▪ Opposition forces takes control of all
Libyan cities
▪ Assumption of interim control by National
Transitional Council
▪ International recognition of NTC as the
sole governing authority for Libya
▪ Beginning of sporadic low-level fighting
and clashes
Major protests
Sustained civil disorder and governmental
changes
Government overthrown
8

9. Since 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,
Jordan, Morocco,
and Oman.
9

10. The protests have
shared
characteristics
of civil resistance
(protests
by the public)
in sustained
campaigns…
10

11. …involving strikes, demonstrations, marches
and rallies.
11

12. 12

13. Protesters were generally young people,
who also used the social media, such as
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, to organize,
communicate, and raise awareness in the face
of their governments’ attempts at censorship.
13

14. 14

15. A major slogan of the demonstrators
in the Arab world has been
“Ash-sha`b yurid isqat an-nizam” …
15

16. ("The people want
to bring down the regime").
16

17. The largest, most organized
demonstrations have often occurred
on a “Day of Rage", usually Friday after
the Muslim’s noon prayers.
17

18. 18

19. Yemen
19

20. Syria 2011
20

21. Many demonstrations have met violent
responses from government authorities,
as well as from pro-government militias.
21

22. The series of protests and demonstrations
across the Middle East and North Africa was
sparked by the first protests that occurred in
Tunisia which challenged police corruption.
22

23. December 17, 2010 it Begins
26 year old Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire
in protest after authorities prevented him from
selling vegetable in the street
23

24. Rebecca Solnit, Op-Ed: “I wish you could see the way that
your small life and large death became a catalyst for the fall
of so many dictators in what is known as the Arab Spring. We
are now in some sort of an American Fall. Civil society here
has suddenly hit the ground running, and we are all headed
toward a future no one imagined when you, a young Tunisian
vegetable seller capable of giving so much, who instead had
so much taken from you, burned yourself to death to protest
your impoverished and humiliated state.”
24

25. • Arab, not Sectarian (in
general)
• Lower classes,
Students, Laborers,
Military
• Populist
• Social Media
• Civil Resistance
(strikes, protests, and
demonstrations)
• U.S. supported
authoritarian regimes
Characteristics
• ‫الشعب يريد‬
‫اسقاط النظام‬
25

26. With the success of the protests in
Tunisia, a wave of unrest struck Algeria,
Jordan, and Yemen, then spread
to other countries.
26

27. In Egypt, President
Hosni Mubarak
resigned in February,
2011, after two weeks
days of massive
protests, ending his
30-year presidency.
27

28. In Egypt this led to:
• Assumption of power by the Armed Forces;
• Dissolution of the Parliament;
• Prosecution of Mubarak former ministers.
28

29. During this period of regional unrest,
several leaders announced their
intentions to step down at the end of
their current terms, such as the Iraqi
Prime Minister.
29

30. Protests in Jordan have
also caused King
Abdullah
to form a new
government with newly
appointed officials
30

31. Libyan leader Muammar al-Gadafi refused
to step down, causing a civil war between
his loyalists and rebels…
31

32. 32

33. Tunisia: Ousting of President Ben Ali
Elections for a Constituent Assembly
33

34. YEMEN: The President is injured in an attack
on his compound; he and his family,
including his wife, leave for Saudi Arabia.
34

35. SYRIA: Release of some political prisoners;
Dismissal of Provincial Governors;
Resignations from Parliament; Ongoing protests
35

36. OMAN: Dismissal of ministers;
Granting of lawmaking powers
to elected legislature
36

37. Morocco: Ongoing protests;
Political concessions by King Mohammed VI; Voting on
Constitutional reforms
37

38. The outside world has also
become involved in the events
of the Arab Spring
38

39. In spring of 2011, a United Nations Security
Council Resolution was adopted, authorizing a
no-fly zone over Libya, and approved "all
necessary measures" to protect civilians.
39

40. 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, too.)
40

41. Numerous factors led to the protests,
but most focused on the overthrow of
authoritarian
(total power; the opposite of democracy/
representative government) leaders.
41

42. Some governments were dictatorships
(rule by one man), while others were
absolute monarchies (power held by a
king/queen with total authority).
42

43. In all countries,
there were
accusations
of human rights
violations,
government
corruption,
unemployment,
extreme poverty…
43

44. and a large percentage of educated
but dissatisfied youth
within the population.
44

45. 45

46. 46

47. The catalysts for the revolts in Northern
African and Persian Gulf countries
have also been the concentration of
wealth in the hands of autocrats
(authoritarian leaders)
in power for decades.
47

48. In recent decades rising living standards and
literacy rates, as well as the increased
availability of higher education,
have created internet-savvy youth
of these countries.
48

49. These young people studied in democratic
nations, where they learned the value and
fairness of representative government.
49

50. 50

51. Time will tell if the events
of the Arab Spring will
continue to influence and
inspire other prodemocracy movements
around
the world.
51

52. Arab
Spring
52