The anthem of the Arab Spring
How a singer from Tunisia helped inspire young protestors all over the Middle East in 2011
In December 2010, anti-government protests broke out in Tunisia after a young fruit-seller called Mohammed Bouazizi set himself alight outside a government office in the south of the country. At one of the huge rallies in Tunis, a young singer called Emel Mathlouthi sang a song called "Kelmti Horra" or "My Word is Free". A video of her passionate performance immediately went viral and inspired protestors to take to the streets in other parts of the Middle East in what became known as the Arab Spring. Emel Mathlouthi talks to Witness History.
PHOTO: Emel Mathlouthi performing in 2012 (Getty Images)
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- Fri 29 Jan 2021 08:50GMT成人快手 World Service
- Fri 29 Jan 2021 12:50GMT成人快手 World Service
- Fri 29 Jan 2021 18:50GMT成人快手 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Fri 29 Jan 2021 23:50GMT成人快手 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Sat 30 Jan 2021 03:50GMT成人快手 World Service except Australasia
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Personal stories from activists and trailblazers who have fought for change
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Witness History
History as told by the people who were there