Tunisia - working class revolt

[Dan U]

Given the amount of north African origin people in France, its not too surprising he hasn't, he doesn't need any more grief.

 

[scooter]

Blimey. Been vaguely following this story for the last few days but didn't expect there to be a revolution today

 

[cantsin]

on a less important note, I do hope that plain clothes pig they keep showing battering the protestor get what's coming to him....that's a nice thought.....

 

[IC3D]

Given the amount of north African origin people in France, its not too surprising he hasn't, he doesn't need any more grief.

OK new there was something I was missing, big boost for the automotive industry though when the youth kick off there.

 

[butchersapron]

Ob cleaning out the shops -they're doing it to homes too.

Who can they pop while they've still time?

 

[Mr.Bishie]

<pass me that L115A3>

 

[OneStrike]

I have had, by some good fortune, brief dialogue with some correspondents in Tunis. There is still plenty of gunfire sounding though they can't tell if it is celebratory or signs of a curfew crackdown. Nobody that i have access to knows for sure if the population now have the taste for further freedoms and will carry on at large.

 

[camouflage]

Blimey. Been vaguely following this story for the last few days but didn't expect there to be a revolution today

Neither did the Czar...

 

[rekil]

Congratulations to the Tunisian people on the success of their peaceful revolution..

Ehh, it's a long way from being either peaceful or successful. There's still a lot of cunts with a lot to lose that have to be dealt with.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Its always fantasitic to watch a shitty oppresive regime the seems so strong and in control collapse in days. That looks like whats happening in tunisia - Over the next few days I'm hoping they take to the streeets in even greater numbers and finish the job.
Amazing - its just two weeks since this thread was posted and the speed with which it progressed is astonshing.

The mainstream media are well behind on this story. The bbc middle east correspondant is in fucking cairo - thousands of miles away.
When this thread was first posted I tried to find any more info on the bbc and guardian websites and their was absloutely nothing.

Be interesting to see how the US responds - I'm guessing theres little love for uncle sam in Tunisia.

Meantime - solidarity with the people of tunisia!

 

[littlebabyjesus]

al jazeera is a much better bet for most things, but for this certainly.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Its always fantasitic to watch a shitty oppresive regime the seems so strong and in control collapse in days. That looks like whats happening in tunisia - Over the next few days I'm hoping they take to the streeets in even greater numbers and finish the job.
Amazing - its just two weeks since this thread was posted and the speed with which it progressed is astonshing.

The mainstream media are well behind on this story. The bbc middle east correspondant is in fucking cairo - thousands of miles away.
When this thread was first posted I tried to find any more info on the bbc and guardian websites and their was absloutely nothing.

Be interesting to see how the US responds - I'm guessing theres little love for uncle sam in Tunisia.

Meantime - solidarity with the people of tunisia!

Not really the middle east, is it? What happened to the North Africa correspondent? Probably down in Sudan. Cuts.

 

[ymu]

Not really the middle east, is it? What happened to the North Africa correspondent? Probably down in Sudan. Cuts.

Parts of North Africa are part of the Middle East. Definitions of the term vary, but Tunisia is included in some uses.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Not really the middle east, is it? What happened to the North Africa correspondent? Probably down in Sudan. Cuts.

May have been north africa correspondant. And no its not the middle east.

 

[camouflage]

al jazeera is a much better bet for most things, but for this certainly.

Yes, and RT.com in my opinion, perhaps surprisingly.

 

[dylans]

So Ben Ali has gone but the PM Mohammed Ghannouchi, has taken power.
Mohammed Ghannouchi is part of the same regime. So him taking power is a con. If he stays nothing has changed. The constitution demands that power should move to the speaker of Parliament not the PM.

Noureddine Miladi, a sociology and media lecturer of Tunisian origin, told Al Jazeera that Ghannouchi's act was unconstitutional.

"It is manipulation of the constitution. It has been argued by the likes of Iyad bin Ashur, one of the top lawyers in Tunisia. He argues that the head of parliament is the only legitimate party able to form a legitimate [caretaker] government, for about 45 days and then [they must] call for elections," Miladi said.

"He [the speaker of the parliament] is supposed to oversee the success of the election. Ghannouchi is part of the same corrupt political elite as Ben Ali. There is nothing new in what happened today, it is a different twist of the game."

So the next step is up to the masses. If they step back now and allow Ghannouchi to remain, they will have lost everything. Real change must come from an overthrow of the entire regime or the Tunisian people will have gained nothing. Either way Ghannouchi will show his hand in the coming days if he moves to crush popular protests.

State TV reported that gatherings of more than three people had been banned, and that violators would be shot by security forces if they did not heed their warnings.

Sounds like same old same old to me.

 

[butchersapron]

Fouad Mebazaâ to take over presidency for next 60 days until elections the Constitutional Council have just decided. They're obv trying to damp it down straight away and prepeare the ground for internal elite wrangling to take centre stage again. This bloke is 78 so not in it for the long run - he's just there to take the crap for now and front any clamp downs.

 

[Divisive Cotton]

Thinking back to the time line then two days ago Ben Ali did a public about turn and declared that soldiers would no longer use live ammunition against demonstrators. I wonder if what really happened is that the army told Ali that they would no longer shoot demonstrators and he tried to turn this to his advantage

 

[butchersapron]

Definite possibility. Rumour now of the main prison in Tunis (edit: not tunis but munastir) burning, 57 dead and everyone else escaped.

 

[teqniq]

Interesting to note that that it is being claimed in this article that the straw that broke the camel's back (ahem) were revelations that:-

And then, WikiLeaks reveals what everyone was whispering. And then, a young man immolates himself. And then, 20 Tunisians are killed in one day.

And for the first time, we see the opportunity to rebel, to take revenge on the "royal" family who has taken everything, to overturn the established order that has accompanied our youth. An educated youth, which is tired and ready to sacrifice all the symbols of the former autocratic Tunisia with a new revolution: the Jasmin Revolution – the true one.

• This article was originally published in French on nawaat.org

Original Grauniad article concerning Tunisia and Wikileaks here

 

[butchersapron]

Bizerte Prison on fire too, Mahdia Prison broke open - unconfirmed.

 

[where to]

is this a storming of the bastille situation, strangeways/ organised escape from the inside or a lynch mob?

 

[where to]

suddenly since 6pm Tunisia is a Police State and terrible and we're on the side of the people lol, funny watching these scum switch

French television reporting that President Sarkozy has refused to accept ousted Tunisian President Ben Ali.

before 6pm last night...

 

[butchersapron]

No idea yet - some people were suggesting the security forces were trying to cover up evidence of torture and so on by burning the prisons - simply can't tell though. An ex-ambassor says that pro-ali RDC networks are trying to fuck the country up prior to clamp -down.

 

[dennisr]

What are the army in tunsia? Conscripts? Resented? Nationals service kiddies? Pampered?

conscripts - there has already been a lot of fratanising. The police carried out most of the direct repression and murdering

More info: http://www.socialistworld.net/view/151

 

[butchersapron]

Thinking back to the time line then two days ago Ben Ali did a public about turn and declared that soldiers would no longer use live ammunition against demonstrators. I wonder if what really happened is that the army told Ali that they would no longer shoot demonstrators and he tried to turn this to his advantage

To go back to this, i think a conflict between the army and RDC linked militias is a possibility. The latter seem to be going around trying to fuck shit up right now - here's a vid that's supposed to be the army disarming one of these groups. A militarisation of the struggle in those terms right now would be disaster.

 

[LLETSA]

So the next step is up to the masses. If they step back now and allow Ghannouchi to remain, they will have lost everything. Real change must come from an overthrow of the entire regime or the Tunisian people will have gained nothing. Either way Ghannouchi will show his hand in the coming days if he moves to crush popular protests.


Sounds like same old same old to me.

Do we know what 'the masses' are fighting for though? (Genuine question-I haven't had time to follow these events closely; I should, because Mrs L is a frequent visitor to Tunisia.) Is there a hint of anything beyond a demand for the government to go and calls for more democracy?

I suspect that the end result will be, as you say, the same old same old with a heavy dose of 'economic liberalism.' This seems to be the pattern of mass uprisings and revolutions in the post-socialist age. Notice Western governments rushing to congratulate 'the Tunisian people' (translation: 'congratulations to those who will implement neo-liberal policies and fuck the rest.)

 

[Peter Dow]

Tunisia: miracle of revolution. Behold Condi's mighty hand.

The allegory of Condoleezza Rice as Moses bringing revolution and freedom to the people of Tunisia.

Condi as a young girl with her mother.

God of Abraham, take my child into thy hands that she may live to thy service.

Condi as a young girl outside the White House.

and I will send thee Condoleezza unto Washington that thou mayest bring my people out of segregation

Look at her face. She has seen God.

Hear my word Ben Ali and obey.
If there is one more problem upon Tunisia it is by your word that God will bring it.

Arise oh Tunisia, behold the dawn of freedom!
For hundreds of years we have waited. The Almighty has heard our cries from bondage.

 

[Peter Dow]

You are the chosen one.

Fear not. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lady.
The Lady of Hosts will do battle for us.

Algiers, September 6, 2008. Condi parts the sea of people before flying to Tunisia to set the people free.

Condi photoshopped as "Moses" leading the people of Tunisia to freedom.

Behold her mighty hand.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice waves to photographers upon her departure from Tunisia on September 6, 2008 after pressing the now ousted President Ben Ali for democratic reform.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]