Tunisian Uprising : Day No.12

From Nawat , a map with protests in the country 

For the tenth day in a row the protests are continuing to spread throughout Tunisia in solidarity with Sidi Bou Zid governorate and its cities that are still under security siege. The scoop of protests is widening , a third person has committed suicide today , two young men set themselves on fire because of unemployment yet were saved and president Ben Ali has addressed the pubic in a typical Arabic way.
First thing the videos are coming from the governorate and its cities showing the abuse and torture that did not differentiate between an elder and a toddler , between a woman and man. I post them  before Ben Ali’s speech because they are the only evidence we have on the crimes have been committed against the citizens of Sidi Bou Zidi.
Here are new videos from Nawaat from the cities off Sidi Bou Zid governorate showing abused citizens who were tortured and witnessed others’ torture by the hands of the security forces.

فيديو: شهادة من طفل تونسي حول القمع الأمني بسيدي بوزيد from tunisians on Vimeo. This little boy was beaten by the security guards !!

فيديو: شهادة من المتساكنيني حول المداهمات و إعتداءات قوات الأمن بسيدي from tunisians on Vimeo. This citizen tells us how the security forces broke in to his house breaking his door and violated his family’s privacy “his wife and daughter” and how some guards had beaten his son. “You can see the remarks on his arm”

فيديو: شهادة حول المداهمات و الإعتداءات و سرقة البوليس لأموال الأهالي from tunisians on Vimeo. This gentleman tells us how  the security forces broke in to his house suddenly and started to beat the crap out him and his family including his 80 years old parents and 6 years old kid. Not only they had beaten him and his family for now reason but they also stole his money and his family’s  mobile phone.

فيديو: رجل في الثمانين يروي كبف أهانه رجال الشرطة و أسقطوه أرضا و في دو from tunisians on Vimeo.Here is the 80 years old father speaking about humiliation he has not seen in his own country all his life. It is so sad and humiliating. Other elderly described what happened from the attack and treatment of security forces as worse than the French occupation treatment !! Can you believe it !!?? Another old lady was beaten on her face when she objected the arrest of her son with no right !!

فيديو: شهادة تبرز آثار اعتداء الأمن على طفلة تونسية بمنزل بوزيان #sidibou from tunisians on Vimeo.This short 3 second clip shows the traces of beating on a little girl in Manzal Bouzian in the Sidi Bou Zid governorate
Up till now we do not have a specific number for casualties in the cities of Sidi Bou Zid with all this crack down taking place for 10 days now.
The protests and sit ins today began to take a violent shape especially with the arrest of activists in Tunis. Up till now I receive tweets that a group of lawyers in Tunis is having a sit in.

فيديو: مشاهد من مظاهرة المحامين بتونس العاصمة اليوم #sidibouzid from tunisians on Vimeo.
FYI the population of Sidi Bou Zid is 400,000 , 42,000 are under the poverty line .
In the first presidential reaction from Tunis , President Ben Ali surprisingly addressed the Tunisian people from hours ago on national TV channels. In a short speech Ben Ali accused foreign channels aka Al Jazeera of igniting the matter despite the fact that Al Jazeera has not correspondent in Tunisia , promised the people with the fruits of investments and coming projects “Does it remind you with someone we know in Egypt !!?” and threatened the saboteurs with powerful reaction after what they had done from scaring foreign investments and tourism.

By the way could not he turn off his mobile phone when he is on air !!?? Who calls the president when he is on air addressing the public !!?? Anyhow the Tunisian official media is reminding the people that Tunisia is above all or rather the Ben Ali regime is above all. Ben Ali visited a young man who set himself on fire after being rescued in Sidi Bou Zid. There is no doubt if the security cracks down Sidi Bou Zid’s uprising he will show up in the city. “Insh Allah he will not” 
The Arab bloggers and tweeps announced their solidarity with the Tunisian people against the Ben Ali regime. Tomorrow there will be a protesting stand in front of the tunisian embassy in Amman, Jordan. Arab tweeps are using the hash tag (#Sidibouzid). Egyptian 6th April movement has announced its solidarity with the Tunisian and it even posted that remarkable shot from a protest in Tunis yesterday I think.

It works in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen and all other Arab republics wanna be royalties thanks to their corrupted presidents. We feel Tunisia because honestly we have very similar corrupted regime which you all know.
At last the international media began to pay attention to the current Tunisian uprising , Brian Whitaker in the guardian writes how a man set on fire started a whole uprising referring to the first suicide in Sidi Bou Zid and wondering if Ben Ali will have the same ill fate of Romania infamous Ceausescu. After tonight’s speech Whitaker tweet about Mubarak. There is no doubt that the old man of Cairo is watching what is happening to the other old man of Tunis with fear and doubt because already let’s agree that no one expected that uprising from Tunis , thanks to the international media analysis all eyes are fixated on Cairo with its angry protests , angry activists and unknown future.
If one Arab capital manages to get rid from its dictator , the other Arab capitals will be shaken.
I think the international media does not give attention to what is happening in Tunis because many political analysts may think that that uprising would be cracked down as soon as possible but that has not happened so far “thank God”
I just remembered that we used to post blank posts in solidarity with Tunisian bloggers in the past every 25 December if you remember.
Sources : Nawaat and Facebook

Technorati Tags: Citizen Journalism,Democracy,Arab,Africa,Human rights,Follow Up,Maghreb,Media,Politics,Sidi Bou Zid,Ben Ali,Guardian,Press,Al Jazeera,Mideast,Mubarak,Egypt,Jordan,Video