A mass mobilization that produced protests in almost every corner of Tunisia has swept out one of the most repressive dictators in the Arab world.
Check out Matt Swagler's article A revolution unfolds in Tunisia that looks at the dynamics of the mass movement in Tunisia that toppled a dictator--and what could come next there and in surrounding countries.
And The Guardian's coverage of the Tunisia protests: 'The fear has gone … I've been waiting 20 years for today'
"The First Middle Eastern Revolution Since 1979"
In lieu of a proper analysis, forthcoming, here are some more materials for those following the Tunisian revolution. First, read Juan Cole: "it would be wrong to see the revolution only as a middle class movement against corruption and nepotism, fueled by facebook status updates and youth activism. The trade unions (al-niqabat) played an essential role, and were among those demanding the departure of the president. You don’t get massive crowds like the one in Tunis without a lot of workers joining in. There are few labor correspondents any longer, and the press downplays the role of workers as a result of neither having good sources among them nor an adequate understanding of the importance of labor mobilization. It is no accident that on Wednesday the head of the Communist workers movement was arrested (he has been released)." Then, for more background background, see MERIP's country report on the origins of the Ben Ali dictatorship here. Hossam el-Hamalawy provides a plethora of links and material on his blog, and via Twitter. And for regular updates and analysis, see the Angry Arab and Brian Whitaker's blog.
