Mohamed Buazizi

Mohamed Bouazizi

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Mohamed Bouazizi محمد البوعزيزي
Born Tarek al-Tayyib Muhammad Bouazizi March 29, 1984(1984-03-29) Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia
Died January 4, 2011(2011-01-04) (aged 26) Ben Arous, Tunisia
Resting place Garaat Bennour cemetery
Nationality Tunisian
Other names Basboosa
Occupation Street vendor
Known for Self-immolation
Influenced Tunisian Revoluion

Tarek al-Tayyib Muhammad Bouazizi (March 29, 1984 – January 4, 2011; Arabic: طارق الطيب محمد البوعزيزي‎), more commonly known as Mohamed Bouazizi, was a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire on December 17, 2010, in protest of the confiscation of his wares and the harassment and humiliation that was allegedly inflicted on him by a municipal official and her aides. This act became the catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution, sparking deadly demonstrations and riots throughout Tunisia in protest of social and political issues in the country. Anger and violence intensified following Bouazizi's death, leading then-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down on January 14, 2011, after 23 years in power.

The success of the Tunisian protests sparked protests in several other Arab countries, including several men who emulated Bouazizi's act, in an attempt to bring an end to autocratic governments. Those men and Bouazizi are hailed by some Arab commentators as "heroic martyrs of a new Middle Eastern revolution."[1]

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