Tunisians Gather by Tens of Thousands to Celebrate Anniversary of Revolution
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PrintToday Tunisia celebrates the first anniversary of the departure of former President Ben Ali. Avenue Habib Bourguiba, the main thoroughfare in downtown Tunis, was host to a festive atmosphere this afternoon as civil society organizations, religious groups, street vendors, and at least 20,000 Tunisians gathered to celebrate the fall of dictatorship one year ago.
Ennahdha Banner
In front of the Municipal Theater on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Ennahda, Tunisia’s moderate Islamist Party, hosted various speakers as well as the band Shems (meaning ‘sun’ in Arabic) – a group known for playing patriotic music. The crowd at the event called for the liberation of Palestine and waved Ennahda flags.
Members of the Ettahrir Party, the formerly banned and still unrecognized party of Salafist Islamists, paraded through Habib Bourguiba Avenue with their signature black and white banners calling for the creation of an Islamic caliphate and erasing any borders between Arab countries.
Ettahrir Party's Banner that Reads : Caliphate, the Upcoming Power
JSD (the Young Democratic Socialists), a youth group affiliated with the Ettakatol Party, participated by holding a drawing contest, enabling children to express themselves and share their thoughts one year after the Tunisian Revolution.
“We are here to take in account the impressions of Tunisians, bridge the gap between demographics of young Tunisians, and also convey a message of hope to all young people,” explained JSD’s Maher Farhat.
“We are not here to celebrate. We won’t celebrate the revolution before the cases of all of Tunisia’s martyrs are settled. They sacrificed their lives for our freedom,” Farhat added.
Some families of Tunisians killed during the uprisings one year ago gathered and shared their painful memories. Mother of martyr Kais Mezdani attended the festivities not to celebrate the revolution but, she said, “to remind the government of its duty.”
Non-profit organizations used the occasion to publicize their cause. Dar Tounis (Home of Tunisia), a non-profit advocating for the homeless of Tunisia, set up a booth where a line of people formed to help their fellow Tunisians find a shelter.
JSD's Drawing Workshop
Raoudha Somrani, the president of Dar Tounis stated, “I have faith in Tunisians. I am very optimistic for the future of Tunisia.”
Those of a more entrepreneurial inclination, seized the opportunity to hock their wares. The sale of Tunisian flags, in particular, was particularly profitable today. In the middle of crowds on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, a man arrived and began selling small Tunisian flags for 1.5 Tunisian Dinars and big flags for 6 Tunisian Dinars. Other vendors sold popcorn and hot nuts.
While a year ago the crowd at Avenue Habib Bourguiba was united, waving the same flag and shouting the same slogans, those present on the Avenue today comprised a more diverse and divided group. Tunisians representing a patchwork of different political parties and different ideologies, waving different flag and chanting different slogans, came to celebrate the anniversary of a day that fundamentally transformed their country one year ago.
I wanted to insert something into the article that goes like this “Tunisians representing a patchwork of different political parties and different ideologies, waving different flag and chanting different slogans, came [ as one] to celebrate the anniversary of a day that fundamentally transformed their country one year ago.” [insertion mine] That is my hope, at least.