Protest On The 14th Anniversary Of Dictator Ben Ali's Flight In Tunis

A young demonstrator holds a placard bearing the names of political opponents, journalists, and civil society activists jailed or detained by the authorities during a protest in Tunis, Tunisia, on January 14, 2025. The protest marks the 14th anniversary of the flight of former Tunisian President and dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, following a call for demonstrations by the Tunisian Network for Rights and Freedoms. They protest against what they describe as the authoritarian drift of Tunisia's President Kais Saied and the assault on democracy, freedoms, and rights by the authorities. Following a popular uprising in Tunisia between December 2010 and January 2011, which the authorities brutally repressed, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali is forced to flee the country on January 14, 2011. This date becomes the official commemoration of the Tunisian Revolution, called Revolution Day, marking the start of the 'Arab Spring' and leading to major political changes in Tunisia. In 2021, the current president, Kais Saied, changes the date for commemorating the Revolution from January 14 to December 17. (Photo by Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto via Getty Images)