A butterfly flaps its small and democratic wings in Tunisia

Jonathan Pain | The Pain Report | 01 February 2011

On 17 December 2010, a 26-year old street vendor in Tunisia, Mohamed Bouazizi, had his goods confiscated and was slapped in the face by a female municipal official. He then set himself on fire and later died on 4 January 2011. By 14 January 2011, the Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali had fled his country as riots erupted across the nation.

Inspired by the overthrow of the Tunisian president, demonstrations began in Egypt on 25 January and the rest, as they say, is history...