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Tunisia - working class revolt

A bit of info on the Tunisia situation and a story on the Iraqi government banning unions in the public sector. The exact same ban implemented under Saddam Hussein's regime. "Bringing democracy and freedom".

http://www.radiolabour.net/
 
Mohamed Bouazizi whose act of self-immolation sparked the Tunisian protests, has died of his injuries.
A 26-year-old Tunisian man who set off a wave of protests after attempting to commit suicide by setting himself on fire last month has died of third-degree burns in hospital, his relatives and human rights groups have said.

Mohamed Bouazizi died at 5:30 pm local time on Tuesday at a hospital in the town of Ben Arous, his brother Salem Bouazizi told the AFP news agency.

Bouazizi is the fourth person confirmed to have died in a wave of social unrest that entered its 20th day on Wednesday.
 
Had a look at the twitter feed and all the stuff written in French, seems to be a lot of stuff about a young activist/blogger being abducted and detained by the police. Also a journalist called "Wissam Saghir" detained too.

Also found this: http://www.state.gov/t/pm/ppa/sat/c14560.htm which possibly shows a massive drop in military aid for the Tunisian government from 2010-2011, plus their ambassador has been summoned today in Washington as far as I could tell?

edit: got the guy's name wrongs.
 
Sidi Bouzid (more often Sidi Bou Zid in anglophone countries) is the place where the original revolt kicked off. There's some useful backgrounders above.
 
Rioting has now spread to Algeria.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Algerian Djiar Hashemi , has called on young protesters to "engage in a peaceful manner," saying that "violence has never been successful" in a first official reaction to the riots that shook the Algeria.
Oh the irony. He has a short memory of his own country's history doesn't he. ?
 
Salam everyone, I am a tunisian living in london, as a matter of fact there is no tunisian organisation in london if we don't consider the gathering of some individuals who got political asylium in the 90's as an organistaion though they have all means and experience :)
I with few other tunisian activists and very amateur ones as well founded the tunisia solidarity campaign to inform in particular and centralize the support of the uk based tunisian diaspora.. we just created the website http://tunisiasolidarity.wordpress.com/ so feeds will be more and more regular as we figure new ways to translate and pass the info efficiently for those interested.
If anyone has questions about what has been happening feel free to contact me at touneyssa@gmail.com
 
There's this analysis at Global Research that squarely identifies the role of the IMF in dire situation of the Tunisian w/c:
...Twenty-four years of ruthless corruptions, dictatorship, and neoliberal economic policies led to wealth being concentrated in the hands of very few people connected to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his wife’s family. Bouazizi, a college graduate,[2] was trying to live in dignity and provide for his family by becoming a street vendor despite living in a country that is considered an economic miracle and one of the African lions by western economic monitors and analysts.[3]

The miserable economic conditions in the interior of the country, lack of employment opportunities and political freedoms pushed Bouazizi, like thousands of other young men and women in the Maghreb countries, to the margins of society. Tunisia’s national unemployment rate, which understates the true unemployment situation, stands at 14%.[4] However, the youth unemployment rate (those between15-24 year-old) is at 31%. The income share of the top 10% is approximately 32%, and the top 20% of the population controls 47% of Tunisia’s income. Tunisia’s inequality is so severe that the bottom 60% of the population earns only 30% (the top 40% take home 70% of the income).[5] Still, the IMF describes the government management of the economy and the uneven economic growth which benefited mainly northern and coastal cities while marginalizing the interior of the country as a “prudent macroeconomic management.”[6]
 
Seems to be a lot dead yesterday - some claims go as hight as 20.

165545_130852090310878_128469903882430_197655_111272_n.jpg
 
aljazeera.net 09 Jan 2011
Several people have been killed in clashes with police in different parts of Tunisia.

Union sources told Al Jazeera that six people were killed and another six wounded in the city of Tala, 200km southwest of the capital Tunis, on Saturday after security forces opened fire on protesters.

Another 14 people were killed in similar clashes in the Kasserine region, the sources said.
Will there be tens of thousands on the streets for the funerals or will the state block it?
 
Salam everyone, I am a tunisian living in london, as a matter of fact there is no tunisian organisation in london if we don't consider the gathering of some individuals who got political asylium in the 90's as an organistaion though they have all means and experience :)
I with few other tunisian activists and very amateur ones as well founded the tunisia solidarity campaign to inform in particular and centralize the support of the uk based tunisian diaspora.. we just created the website http://tunisiasolidarity.wordpress.com/ so feeds will be more and more regular as we figure new ways to translate and pass the info efficiently for those interested.
If anyone has questions about what has been happening feel free to contact me at touneyssa@gmail.com

Welcome to the forum, please keep posting.
 
The International Federation for Human Rights - about which i know nothing, so don't count this as me vouching for them - claim around 50 people have now been killed.

A human rights federation charged today that around 50 people have been killed in the riots that erupted over the weekend in Tunisia.

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) president Souhayr Belhassen said FIDH had the names of 35 people killed and that "the total figure is somewhere around 50, but that's an estimate."

Ms Belhassen said the death toll had "increased tragically" since weekend protests in the Regueb, Thala and Kasserine areas and so many had been wounded that "they can't be counted."

Before these riots the death toll was estimated at four, including two suicide
 
Looks legit - going since 1922, Paris-based so suppose serves Francophone world more, says one past chairman was assassinated by Vichy militia for their anti-Nazi work.
 
To anyone that doesn't know, you can read translated tweets on twitter if you are using chrome. You probably all know that but i have just found out, interesting to read the anger of the Tunisian public, i hope no more lives are lost tonight.
 
Salam everyone, I am a tunisian living in london, as a matter of fact there is no tunisian organisation in london if we don't consider the gathering of some individuals who got political asylium in the 90's as an organistaion though they have all means and experience :)
I with few other tunisian activists and very amateur ones as well founded the tunisia solidarity campaign to inform in particular and centralize the support of the uk based tunisian diaspora.. we just created the website http://tunisiasolidarity.wordpress.com/ so feeds will be more and more regular as we figure new ways to translate and pass the info efficiently for those interested.
If anyone has questions about what has been happening feel free to contact me at touneyssa@gmail.com

As 'where to' said above good to have you here and do keep posting.
 
Sounds like Ben Ali's starting to crack. Heroic stuff, though your had tells you some "opposition" chancer will emerge to capture most of the fruits of the people's sacrifices.
 
Visited this country as a tourist in 2002. One thing that struck me was the number of cops......everywhere. And the number of posters of Ben Ali on the streets.......everywhere. Seem to recall some election happening ......all a joke. Looks like the party's over. Bye bye dictator.
 
The income share of the top 10% is approximately 32%, and the top 20% of the population controls 47% of Tunisia’s income. Tunisia’s inequality is so severe that the bottom 60% of the population earns only 30% (the top 40% take home 70% of the income).[5] Still, the IMF describes the government management of the economy and the uneven economic growth which benefited mainly northern and coastal cities while marginalizing the interior of the country as a “prudent macroeconomic management.”[6]

The top 10% in the UK control 53% of the total wealth, and are more than 100 times as wealthy as the poorest 10%. The bottom 50% have between 1% and 5% of total wealth, depending on whose figures you believe.
 
But you're comparing income share to wealth, and the latter in one of the wealthier countries. Apples and oranges, surely?
 
I know, I meant share of local income vs share of local wealth - not quite the same thing I believe. But looking it up it's certainly not a pretty picture income-wise in the UK either, though can't quite get my head round these quintiles to compare % of bottom 60% in the two countries: http://www.poverty.org.uk/09/index.shtml

ETA: Looking at graph 4, maybe about same - bottom 60% on 30% of income? All down to the palace now!
 
Well yeay. I mean it was a throwaway comment and the difference in total wealth is there as you point out, but on the other hand...
 
There will be lots of stuff appearing pretty soon suggesting that this is islamist inspired. I don't know if it is. Is doesn't look that way to me. I'm sure the islamists are there and doing what they can though.
It really doesn't loook like an Islamist protest; more one over crippling unemployment and poverty, and against an (in effect) dictator with a repressive regime
 
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