Domino Effect: Mideast rulers watch Tunisia in fear of repeat

Posted on By 3arabawy

Via AFP:

Governments across the Middle East anxiously watched developments in Tunisia on Sunday after the ouster of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, fearing the spread to their doorsteps of violence and popular revolt.
After 23 years of iron-fisted rule, the Tunisian president caved in to violent popular protests on Friday and fled to Saudi Arabia, becoming the first Arab leader to do so.
Administrations in the Middle East were cautious in their response to his toppling, but are increasingly uneasy about the situation as opposition groups seek to take advantage of the upheaval in the north African country.

Domino Effect: Egypt

Posted on By 3arabawy

Via IPS:

Cairo – “Where can I find a Tunisian flag?” The question flooded Egyptian blogs, tweeter and Facebook pages minutes after news that popular protests had forced out long-time Tunisian dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.
Egypt is feeling the ripple effect from Tunisia already. Egypt’s 85 million people constitute a third of the Arab population. Until Tunisians ousted their autocratic ruler Friday evening after his 23 years in power, Egypt, a regional trendsetter, was seen as the first candidate for regime change by popular uprising in the Arab world.

Domino Effect: 3,000 Jordanians protest govt economic policies

Posted on By 3arabawy

Via Ahram Online:

More than 3,000 Jordanian trade unionists, Islamists and leftists held a sit-in on Sunday outside parliament to protest the government’s economic policies.
“For how long should we pay the price of corruption and theft,” read one of the banners carried by protesters who also held Jordanian and Islamist flags.
The demonstrators chanted “enough of lies, we lost our future,” and called on Prime Minister Samir Rifai to “listen to the voice of the people.”
“Jordan’s blood has been sucked,” they chanted.
“Poverty, starvation and unemployment, we’ve had enough,” and “Jordanians are on fire… the soaring prices are killing us,” were among the other slogans they chanted.
Parliament was in session during the sit-in, which comes after a popular revolt in Tunisia ousted its strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
On Saturday, about 50 Jordanian trade unionists held a sit-in outside the Tunisian embassy in Amman, shouting “Tunisia’s revolution will spread.”
Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of the kingdom on Friday to protest soaring prices and unemployment, despite a 169-million-dollar plan to improve their living condition.