Arab Spring 3 years on: Tunisians Take to Streets to Demand Faster Change

Tunisians gathered Tuesday at the birthplace of the Arab Spring to vent their anger at the slow pace of change in their country three years after a street vendor burned himself to death in what became an iconic protest.
Civil society groups were preparing to stage a rally late morning in Sidi Bouzid, the impoverished central town where the self-immolation of 26-year-old Mohammed Bouazizi on December 17, 2011 unleashed the revolution that toppled long-term strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi in the impoverished central town of Sidi Bouzid unleashed a wave of protest across the North African country.

His tragic act, aimed at attracting attention to economic hardship and repression, was the fuse for uprisings across the region that toppled veteran strongmen in Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

From early morning demonstrators started to gather outside the regional governor’s headquarters, where Bouazizi set himself on fire in a desperate act of protest against economic hardship and repression that became a fuse for uprisings across the region.

With popular discontent at the government’s failure in improving living conditions in the marginalized region still running high, President Moncef Marzouki, outgoing Prime Minister Ali Larayedh and Parliamentary Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar decided not to attend the planned ceremonies.

Tunisians believe that three years have gone by and many things are still to be changed as the social and economic situation is still difficult.