Tunisia: Arab Spring Anniversary Protests Break Out

Demonstrations broke out late Jan. 13 in Sidi Bouzid, Meknassi and Gafsa after initial rallies in Ben Guerdane and continued in several places into Jan. 14, Reuters reported. January marks the sixth anniversary of the 2011 push to oust former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali that marked the start of the so-called Arab Spring. In Gafsa, protesters blocked the route of President Beji Caid Essebsi's convoy, which was forced to circumvent the area. Demonstrators called for employment opportunity and an end to government corruption — deliberately echoing the demands of 2011. Tunisia has been relatively stable compared to other post-Arab Spring nations, but economic stagnation in rural areas has given rise to unrest.